Originally posted on social media. The Chinese version follows the
English post below.
中文版在英文博文下方。
1. Cultivating a Long-term Perspective
1.1 Embracing the Extended Timeline:
I once grappled with profound anxiety about my post-graduation
prospects—whether it was the uncertainty of maintaining residency in
the United States or securing a position at a prestigious tech
corporation in China. However, through enlightening conversations
with colleagues, I came to understand that these temporal
fluctuations and present circumstances are merely wavelets in the
ocean of our careers.
Perhaps today's employment landscape seems challenging—but isn't
this analogous to a forest in winter? The fundamental potential
remains intact, much like the dormant seeds beneath frozen soil,
waiting for the right conditions to flourish.
1.2 Redirecting Comparative Energy Inward:
Rather than measuring yourself against the variable yardsticks of
others' success, consider your personal trajectory and how it aligns
with your aspirational horizon.
1.3 Honoring Incremental Progress:
Celebrate the subtle victories—perhaps it's maintaining better
hydration or developing more disciplined study habits. These small
transformations, when viewed collectively, reveal the emerging
portrait of your growing capabilities. (Consider persistence itself
as a skill worth cultivating.)
1.4 Reframing Setbacks as Milestones:
Consider this: persistent success in any domain might indicate
you're navigating too close to familiar shores.
Develop what I call a "Chronicle of Challenges"—each entry
represents a boundary crossed, a comfort zone expanded. Your
stumbles are merely footprints on unexplored terrain.
2. Rediscovering Core Motivations
2.1 Essential Self-Inquiry:
"What constitutes a fulfilling existence in your vision?"
How does software development integrate into this tapestry? What
alternative threads might weave similar patterns? How do various
paths diverge and converge?
2.2 Examining Financial Motivations:
What deeper yearnings does financial success represent? Is
prosperity synonymous with contentment? What threshold of financial
security would truly satisfy your needs?
3. Live in Your Aspirations
3.1 Preserving Your Initial Spark:
While perhaps not the majority narrative, surely there exists a
cohort who ventured into technology not for market demands, but from
an intrinsic desire to decode the digital realm and craft within it,
willingly leaving established paths behind.
3.2 Expanding Your Perspective:
If pure passion seems elusive, consider widening your lens. Let your
curiosity wander through social media, diverse digital landscapes,
and technical blogs until you encounter moments of genuine
wonder—those instances where possibility sparkles.
Take programming as an example. For the visually inclined, there's a
world of creative coding, compelling web portfolios, blockchain art,
and data visualization that transcends mere functionality.
If
cyberpunk aesthetics intrigue you, explore immersive technologies.
Gaming enthusiasts might find joy in development, trading
aficionados could explore decentralized finance, and those drawn to
collaborative innovation might find purpose in open-source
ecosystems.
The key lies in finding tangible manifestations of your
aspirations—seeing how others channel code into creation.
(International resources often reveal a particularly unbridled
enthusiasm for technical creativity.)
4. The Journey of Growth
4.1 "Learning is not all about fun. It's about the
efforts":
If you find yourself persisting despite absence of passion,
recognize that this resilience is perhaps your most valuable
asset—it's a quiet form of excellence.
Balance the rigors of core learning with engaging side projects, but
remember: that sensation of strain often signals genuine progress,
like a muscle strengthening under load.
4.2 Acknowledging Agency:
Remember that paths are rarely singular—humans tend to anchor
themselves in familiar waters, even when those waters are
turbulent.
Consider your options with both analytical precision and creative
openness.
I appreciate your patience in following this reflection to its
conclusion. While my perspective might seem somewhat removed from
immediate pressures, there's something inherently energizing about
maintaining ideals.
In this vast tapestry of existence, where our time is finite, the
transition to programming represents but one thread of many. May
your journey be rich with meaning.
1. 將時間線拉長，長期主義 mindset
1.1 將時間線拉長，長期主義 mindset:
之前樓主很焦慮的是無法在畢業後留🇺🇸，或是回國也找不到大廠工作——但後來經組裡朋友指點，意識到短暫的起伏、當下的境況從來就不是決定性的。
現在找不到好工作又如何呢？留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒，總是可以不斷努力成長的。
1.2 不要和別人比較，隻和過去的自己比較:
想想自己的長期目標是什麼，自己有沒有進步。
1.3 關注小小的進步，關心過程裡的努力:
比如今天多喝水了我真棒！轉碼後的自己比之前的自己更加努力了！（努力也是一種能力）
1.4 像集郵一樣收集失敗、慶祝失敗:
如果在一個領域裡一直順風順水，很可能你沒有嚐試對你來説非常有難度的事情。
建立自己的 Failure profile:
你邁出了這麼多舒適區！因爲走了很多路所以才會摔這麼多跤！
2. 找到自己的初心
2.1 多問自己:
“我想要的生活到底是什麼樣的？”
冩碼在其中髮揮着什麼作用？有其他替代品嗎？不同方向的優劣？
2.2 如果是看中高薪:
錢對你來説到底意味着什麼？錢=幸福快樂的生活嗎？你到底需要多少錢？
3. Live in your aspiration
3.1 不要忘記自己轉碼的初心:
或許是少數，但我想肯定也有人是因爲想要理解技術的世界、想用代碼去創造，而選擇放棄之前的經驗而進入
tech 這個行業的。
3.2 打開視野:
或許熱愛是中二的説法，如果沒有這種熱情，打開視野 peripheral
vision，多刷 X
看不同的網站博客，打火把找“哇這個好牛逼！我也想有天能做出這樣的作品”的瞬間。
鐘情視覺交互可以找找 creative coding、web 開髮者的
portfolio、NFT，數據可視化也可以很 fancy；感覺賽博朋克很酷可以看看
VR/AR；愛打遊戲就學學遊戲開髮教程；熱愛炒股虧錢也可以入倉
crypto；有開源去中心化的理想可以研究 Web3……
總之，要讓自己多可視化夢想：有人在用代碼實現想做的事。（推薦多看海外的資源，外國人確實很能夠享受用代碼創造的樂趣。）
4. 學習與堅持
4.1 “Learning is not about fun. It’s about the efforts.”
即便不喜歡也能夠堅持的韌勁與勇氣,也是非常難能可貴的。
做做喜歡的 side projects
保持熱情，但主線任務還是要打，累説明你在走上坡路。
4.2 我們總是有選擇的:
別把自己限製在這一條路上——人不擅長離開熟悉的環境，即便是熟悉的痛苦也有黏性。
可以算好風險與收益，嚐試更多路徑。
感謝你讀到這裡，或許我有點何不食肉糜，但擁有理想總是會讓人興奮的。
世界很大，人生很短，轉碼隻是人生的一段旅程，希望你可以好好生活。