Getting Good.

It was 12 months ago last week that my friend Sam Lessin sat me down and gave me the kick in the rear that got me going down this road of learning to code. A year later, and I'm super excited about how good of an engineer I've become.

I got good.

Some day in the future I'll write Chapter Two of the HoPE Manifesto, and go into great detail about phase two of my education as an engineer, but today I want to write about the single biggest factor for "getting good" at something.

Just work.

Just say "no" to coffees, lunches, drinks, events, speaking opportunities, advisory board positions, calls, Skype chats, etc.

Let emails go un-replied.

Wake up at 7am every day -- at the latest -- and get back to working on getting good.

Test your relationships with friends (don't test them with your partner or family).

Be selfish, if selfish means spending more time mastering your craft.

Be generous -- always -- but especially if that means helping other people master your craft with you. You'd be surprised how much you learn teaching others.

The single biggest factor in getting good at something is true devotion.

For the past year, I've devoted myself to getting good as an engineer. It's the first skill I've ever truly devoted myself to, and thus the first skill I can actually say I have.

Lord knows I have a ways, ways ways to go, but today, I feel pretty awesome about how far I've come. And, I can't wait to see where I am one year of devotion from now. I think I'm hooked on this concept of "just work."

Sorry, Emails...