Soft Skills: The software developer's life manual

bring others down

people who you just can’t get along with

haven’t given much time to think

Left to our own devices, we tend to follow the path that’s laid out for us.

I can only guess,

you can use all of the tools at your disposal

This is, of course, easier said than done.

We don’t tend to give enough thought

Your beliefs become your thoughts,

Your thoughts become your words,

Your words become your actions,

Your actions become your habits,

Your habits become your values,

Your values become your destiny.

Mahatma Gandhi

Table 48.1. Checklist for taking action
Checklist for taking action

Answers

What specifically is holding me back from taking action?

If there is a choice I need to make, what is that choice? What options do I have to choose from?

What’s the worst that can result from making a wrong choice?

If I choose wrong, can I go back and try another choice? Will the cost of doing so be high?

Is there a big difference between the choices? Can I get away with a suboptimal solution that I can take action on right away?

Does the problem I’m facing lend itself to self-discoverability? If I start taking some action, will I be able to course-correct until I eventually find the right action to take?

What will happen if I don’t take any action? What will the cost be in time, missed opportunity, or money?