How I Stay Motivated While Learning Ruby (Even When It’s Hard)
Motivation is a huge thing when it comes to learning programming. Oh man, it is. I knew that when I was starting, but I wasn’t aware of just how important it would be later. I actually wonder if I’d even be able to do this if it weren’t for my schedule and the kind of isolated life I lead at the moment.
No, I’m not writing this from prison… well, kind of. Haha.
I’ve been learning programming—mostly JavaScript and Ruby from The Odin Project for over a year now, and I’ve noticed some interesting patterns. These patterns started emerging from the very beginning when I was going through the foundations course, but at the time, I wasn’t really aware of them. Looking back, I think this might be something useful for people who are just starting.
Before I get into these patterns, I want to mention that everything I’ve learned is based on my experience with The Odin Project’s curriculum, so it might not be the same if you’re learning from other resources. However, the human brain learns in similar ways across different fields, so chances are, you’ll find this relatable.
The Two Motivation Patterns: “Draining Necessary Boredom” and “Dopamine Hit High”
You can probably guess which one’s the low and which one’s the high.
The “Draining Necessary Boredom” Phase
This happens when a new concept is introduced, and we’re suddenly thrown into documentation, long articles, and theoretical explanations. These texts are usually lengthy, written in overly complex language, and, honestly, boring as hell.
At this stage, it’s a struggle just to stay focused. Our brain wants to procrastinate, we find our eyes glazing over the text. It’s a battle.
But here’s the thing: I never skipped any of those documents or long articles provided by Odin.
Why? Because I had already learned from other experiences (outside of programming) that this effort always pays off.
So, even though I was almost falling asleep in front of my screen, I forced myself to push through—even when I didn’t understand half of what I was reading.
Some topics required more reading than others, but trust me, this part is extremely important.
Even if you don’t understand everything clearly, just read through it till the end and carry on.
You might ask, Why not just watch a video or find an easier explanation? Well, here’s why:
First: There’s usually an easier explanation (like a funny article or a well-made video) at the end of the lesson. (Again, thanks, Odin!)
Second: By reading the full documentation, you’ll remember where to find the information when you get stuck in the future.
Third: And this one might sound stupid, but it’s not—MAGIC! Yes, dear reader, magic.
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Because when you finally get to the project phase and sit down to plan out your code, you’ll realize you actually remember things from those boring lessons.
And it happens every single time, for every single project.
Okay, okay—it’s not magic. It’s just how the human brain works.
But still, seeing it happen feels like magic. And knowing this keeps me motivated—especially when I start doubting myself.
The Lifetime Plan: My “Why”
As I said in this article, I always wanted to be independent—to have my own thing rather than working for someone else.
Computers have always been a huge part of my life, and I’ve always wanted to build an online business. I’ve already had several attempts at affiliate marketing—which taught me a lot, even though they didn’t work out financially.
I knew that if I wanted to take things to the next level, I had to learn how to code.
And I also knew one thing for sure: If I started switching directions and picking up 100 different things, nothing would actually work out.
I had to stick to ONE thing and just carry on.
I chose to learn to code so that I could start building apps that solve problems and make money. This, or freelancing first to build an agency later.
But honestly? I’d rather build apps.
Now, you can already guess how this affects my motivation, right?
Especially on a Monday morning. Haha.
Finishing The Odin Project & Finally Building My Own Apps
The third motivation boost is knowing that once I finish The Odin Project, I’ll finally start building those apps I’ve planned for so long.
Right now, I have at least 60 app ideas saved up—waiting for me to validate and build them.
I hate seeing all these people pushing through on X while I’m still grinding through lessons…
But hey, it’s part of the process.
And I deeply believe it’s better to spend proper time learning than to rush into something and make nasty mistakes just because of lack of technical knowledge.
That doesn’t mean technical knowledge is everything—because it’s not. But you get my point.
Final Thoughts
So yeah, these three things have been working out for me so far!
- Trusting the process (even when it’s boring).
- Having a strong reason WHY.
- Pushing toward a clear goal: building my own apps.
Now, I’m curious, what keeps YOU motivated?
I feel like everyone has an interesting story behind their motivation. Drop yours in the comments below!