What Getting Past the First Mile Taught Me
I read a Medium article that said “a marathon is run… One. Small. Step. At. A. Time.”
I have to give it up to all Flatiron students that make it pass the First Mile, including myself. I did that! We all should be proud because this is really impressive and really tough. Getting past the First Mile was one of my biggest accomplishments as a growing developer. I proved to myself that I am not an imposter. The milestone taught me that I am built for this, I can endure the hardships of being a Full Stack developer. Making it pass Mile One solidified my place in this industry. I know I am more than capable of being a software engineer and a damn good one.
I can be candid… I was scared out of my mind that I wouldn’t make it! Doubts crept in as time was getting closer and closer to Day 14. I thought to myself, “What if I don’t make the cut? What if I’m not made for this? What will happen if I fail? Can I live with myself?” The First Mile was tough and a lot crammed into two weeks. But I knew that failure wasn’t an option! I knew that in order to be eligible to continue with the cohort I had to complete ALL five of THE FIRST MILE COHORT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
Something clicked inside of me, all I needed to do was start with mile one. I realized the importance of getting off to a great start. I gave myself a big boost, the right amount of energy to push to Day 14. This was a practice of building mental toughness. When you set out for a long road trip and you focus on everything but the enjoyment of the journey, you can lose focus and the desire to make it to your destination gets lost. You have to realize there’s a long road ahead of you but you have the fortitude to make it to the finish line. It’s the same with having BIG goals.
How is First Mile a metaphor for life? I work out most days of the week and when I am in the middle of a deep workout I tell myself I have to complete this! Self talk during a workout is critical to completing the goal, similar to completing the First Mile of this course. I told myself I will make it past this checkpoint I will never give up.
Learning a new language, changing industries and going back to school is a LONG GAME. We live in a world where instant gratification is a norm! I realized that delayed gratification is what gets you to the finish line. Becoming great at anything may take a while. I go after goals that may take 5, 10 years to reach just to teach myself patience, resilience and grit.
Start small with baby steps and it can seem like the small victories are the big ones. The journey of learning o new language will come with it’s trials. Knowing that this is a marathon and not a sprint can intimidate you and overwhelm you. Completing the First Mile of any new endeavor if the first victory of many! It shows you that yes this will be long and hard but focus on what’s right in front of you, stay in the moment and don’t be stressing over the big picture.