I’m currently learning JavaScript, recently finished HTML and CSS. I have faced this issue: after a few weeks of disciplined learning of HTML and CSS I’ve moved to JS. After, about, a week of learning JS I’ve started to feel less enthusiasm and more laziness towards learning to code.
However I can’t say I don’t want to learn coding. In fact, I still do want to learn it.
How to overcome it?
P.S. Any suggestions on how long should a break in learning be in order to “recover”?
Your hitting a road block because CSS and HTML are considerably easer and thats sort of my situation as well so before I go much further Ive decided to read a book or two about JS.
I would suggest supplementing your learning with a project-based approach. Look for tutorials that teach you how to build something. The theoretical algorithmic approach the current curriculum takes can get a little dry and abstract in the long run.
First, good job in noticing this feeling and seeking to address it. Often times many start losing enthusiasm and just completely abandoned their efforts.
The initial enthusiasm you have is usually temporary. Like most things the “newness” or initial ideas are usually the most intense before you start working on things more directly. Once you start actually doing what you initially wanted, the “novelness” will start to go away. Depending on what your doing you might only just of started with things, and now things change into what I consider to be work.
Learning is work because it requires effort, time and continual dedication. Because of this most people don’t work unless they have to. Odds are you don’t have to learn, but still want to. Kind of like most people have some sort of dream job they want to at least try.
So what to do?
First, I’d identify your original reasoning for want to do what you want (learning to code). Once you identify the why you can start farming the why. This usually means putting yourself in a situation to be inspired. That inspiration is what turns to motivation, which is your fuel to spend while learning.
This sort of motivation source can’t go away over your journey and you must have one. It doesn’t need to be a raw flaming passion for coding 24/7, it could be something as simple as “I want a new better paying job”. The main thing is it needs to be real, identified and continually reviewed to push you forward.
For example, most people don’t like their day jobs, but show up to work every day for no other reason than the fear of being unemployed or having an unstable financial background, or letting their loved ones down.
Learning is in a similar boat, except there is usually an “escape hatch” because you can just quit without losing much, unlike say a job, which usually is critical.
So just as a review:
identify what inspired you
farm that feeling by putting yourself in a position to be inspired