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My son, Davin, is a bit of a rebel.
He’s the kind of kid will give you that “suuuure” look if you say something he thinks is bunk. I’ve always had to have good reasons for the things I do with. He’s a skeptical, independent-thinking dude. And, I love him for it.
So about the third time he’d gotten in trouble at school…
For not following “directions” (orders)… I knew I had to do something different. He’s just not a “stand in line” type of guy. And, the last think I wanted to do was kill his independent spirit so he could “go along to get along” in school.
So, we started homeschooling.
Now, a few years before that… that kind of thing wouldn’t have been possible for me. But, learning how to code gave me the freedom to work from home and opened the door for me to homeschool.
It’s the most important benefit for me.
I grew up with five brothers. So, getting the opportunity to be home all day with my kids… takes me back to those happy memories. I’d trade all the money in the world for that alone.
And, I think that’s true for a lot of developers.
We take about money a lot… but money is just a means to an end. It’s a tool for getting what we really want. And, I think it’s critical that you get in touch with what you’re really after.
A stack of green paper can only motivate you so much.
But your kids?
Your spouse?
Your future?
You know, one of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is to “begin with the end in mind”.
What is it you’re really after?
What do you want ultimately?
A lifestyle?
Financial security?
More time with loved ones?
Are your driven by self-mastery?
Is it simply food on the table?
Is it knowing you did it all on your own?
What drives you?
Answering that unlocks a fountain of limitless energy you need to put in the work that’s required to get there.
I bring this up because I see and hear from so many developers that are suffocating with doubt. They’re questioning their ability. They wonder if they can really do this.
You can.
It’s simply about mastering moments.
Moments of doubt. Moments of fear. Moments of uncertainty. Those who master those moments, make smart choices and take action… are the ones who win.
Look, there are no guarantees.
I think a lot of people think they’re “destined” for success. That “one day” it’s just going to happen.
It won’t.
You have to make it happen. Not to be overly cliche, but you have to grab life by the horns and take what you want. Nobody is going to give it to you. It won’t just “happen”.
Anyway, my primary job is to inspire and motivate you.
I know, I know… you just want the damn code! But, as the saying goes:
“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
So, know that you can do this.
Look, if you’d ask my classmates what I was “most likely to be” in 20 years… it’d probably have been dead or living in some trailer park somewhere. Because that’s how I grew up.
If ol’ Trailer Park Johnny over here can get to the point of working from home and homeschooling my boys… as a coder… there’s zero doubt in my mind that you can to.
It’s a matter of focus (beginning with the end in mind)…
And work ethic.
Speaking of focus…
One of the big mistakes I see developers make is to make learning how to code harder than it has to be. For example, I see a lot of developers who think the list of skills they need to learn to master PHP is pages and pages long.
It’s not.
I’ve said this before, but there’s a foundational set of skills you need to learn in order to be “functional” as a PHP developer. Meaning, you can execute on projects and get paid.
When you focus on learning only these skills first…
You’re able to start getting paid to code much faster than you probably ever thought… because you haven’t set an unattainable bar for yourself to reach before you “allow” yourself to take paid work.
You can start now.
And start builiding that life you really want.
Instead of slaving away at some job making somebody else rich.
Anyway, you can learn these skills in my FREE PHP course at https://johnmorrisonline.com/learnphp. Check it out.
P.S. If you liked this post, give it a like and share with the communities and people you think will benefit. And, you can always find all my tutorials, source code and exclusive courses on Patreon.
