The Smart Way to Learn Tech: Sustainable Practices for Long-Term Growth
A Sustainable Path to Success Without Burnout
Many enter the world of tech through boot camps, others through academic study, and others by immersing themselves in endless hours of online courses, mastering the craft independently (badass, right?).
But this raises a crucial question: What’s the best way to learn and teach tech?
While the answer is simple in concept, it’s not easily defined. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all path to learning tech… but there are common traits among those who achieve success in their tech journey.
Why do people struggle to learn tech?
Over the years, as I've mentored a good number of tech professionals at different points in their careers, I've identified three types of enthusiasts who often struggle/ fail to learn tech:
This first group gets overwhelmed by the abstractions, convinced they can never grasp tech’s complex concepts. They doubt themselves and, as a result, never even begin the journey.
Then there’s the Tech Thomas… Unlike the first group, they’re curious enough to start but lack the resilience to face challenges. The moment they encounter their first bug, they decide it was a mistake and give up.
Finally, there are those with faulty strategies. This group is passionate and might even have access to the right resources, but they fail not because they lack the ability to master tech skills but because they don’t use effective learning strategies.
In this article, I’ll focus on the third category. I’ll mix my insights with some golden nuggets from ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear—a book you should definitely check out.
Why Tech Learners Fail: Common Barriers to Success
“Every Olympian wants to win a gold medal. Every candidate wants to get the job.
And if successful and unsuccessful people share the same goals (wanting to win), then the goal cannot be what differentiates the winners from the losers.”
- Atomic Habits (pg 25)
Rushing the Process
Driven by the desire for quick results—like trying to build the next Facebook after just a week of HTML—many learners skip foundational concepts and overlook essential basics they find uninteresting.
This impatience can create significant gaps in understanding, ultimately hindering long-term progress.
Misguided Motivations
Entering the tech field solely for the lure of high salaries or a perceived easy lifestyle often leads to disappointment. The belief that tech offers a shortcut to success while underestimating its challenges frequently results in frustration.
Although mastering tech skills can indeed open doors to great opportunities, it’s crucial to recognize that mastery demands consistency, discipline, and determination.
Going Solo and Avoiding Help
Many tech enthusiasts struggle because they try to tackle everything on their own, driven by fear of embarrassment or a desire to prove themselves. This isolation can cause unnecessary setbacks and slow progress.
The saddest cases involve learners more focused on impressing mentors than learning from them. When these learners face overwhelming challenges without seeking help, they often feel incompetent, stalling their growth.
Lack of a Structured Learning Plan
Without a clear roadmap or guide, learners can easily find themselves lost or overwhelmed, leading to inefficient learning and incomplete understanding.
Loss of Motivation and Satisfaction
Getting bogged down by tedious technicalities without seeing any intermediate achievements can drain motivation. The absence of small victories makes it hard to stay engaged. For example, spending weeks learning about HTML, browsers, and the internet without ever trying to build something basic can lead to a sense of stagnation.
Inconsistency
Stopping midway through training due to burnout, lack of motivation, or discipline issues is a common barrier. Inconsistent effort stalls progress and disrupts the learning process.
Unclear Vision or End Goals
Without a clear understanding of their end goals or the potential impact of the skills they’re learning, learners may struggle to stay focused and motivated.
Many people believe that setting ambitious goals is the key to success; however, merely having a goal to be better at Tech isn’t what sets successful people apart. What truly matters is the process—the daily habits, discipline, and consistent effort that lead to those outcomes.
Embracing The Habit-Based Learning Framework
Consult an Expert Before You Start
If you're unsure how to begin (what field to dive into/ what resources to work with/ etc.), seek advice from someone experienced. Don’t hesitate to ask what might seem like dumb questions—there are no dumb questions when you're learning.
Start Small
As James Clear emphasizes in Atomic Habits, starting small is key to building effective habits. People often avoid this because they want to achieve big things quickly, but to establish lasting habits, you need to start so small that it’s almost impossible to fail. This is known as the Goldilocks Rule.
The Goldilocks Rule: Start so small that it’s impossible to fail. The task should be just challenging enough to keep you engaged, but not so difficult that it discourages you.
Cultivate Curiosity
Learn to research and find information online before reaching out to a mentor to rescue you (once learning has kicked off properly). First, attempt solving challenges/ bugs independently, and then, when you seek help from your mentor, show what you’ve already attempted.This approach will deepen your understanding, reinforce your learning, and reveal to your mentor how passionate you are.
Learn by Doing
Knowledge sticks when you practice, and practice is most effective when it’s consistent. Balance learning with hands-on practice—remember, the most effective form of learning is doing, not just planning.
Set Commitments and Maintain Accountability
Create study commitments that align with your personal style. Build consistency around your existing routine to minimize the chances of failure. Track your habits and progress.For more on this, check out Chapter 16, "How to Stick with Good Habits Every Day," and Chapter 17, "How an Accountability Partner Can Change Everything," in Atomic Habits.
Use Comprehensive Resources
Embrace both long-term, foundational resources (even when they’re boring) and short-term, exciting ones to keep your learning engaging. Be comfortable with the boring stuff—it’s essential for growth.
Celebrate Small Wins
Acknowledge your progress, no matter how small. Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know yet. Focus on improving a little each day, and over time, those small gains will add up.Think of it this way: If you make no improvements every day for a year, you remain the same—just like:
But if you commit to getting just 1% better each day, that small effort compounds. By the end of the year, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come:
This simple equation shows that a tiny 1% improvement each day can lead to a nearly 38-fold improvement over the course of a year. It’s the power of consistency and the compound effect in action. So, don’t underestimate the value of small, daily wins. They’re the building blocks of long-term success.
Restructure When You Hit Roadblocks
When you encounter failure or obstacles, don’t give up—re-strategize. Identify what resources, formats (videos, blogs, etc.), and teaching styles work best for you and leverage them to keep moving forward.
Join a Supportive Community
Surround yourself with a community that supports your learning journey. A strong network can provide motivation, guidance, and accountability.
Conclusion
As you continue or start your tech journey, remember that progress doesn’t always come in leaps and bounds. Embrace the small wins, keep building on them, and trust that your consistent efforts will eventually lead to transformative results. Just as a heap of grains forms one grain at a time, your success in tech will be built through the sum of your incremental improvements.
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