You’re Probably Standing in the Middle of What Used to Feel Impossible
It’s easy to miss the moments when your own goals quietly turn into your new normal.
One day, something that once felt impossible—too big, too far out of reach—just becomes part of your everyday life.
This past week, I was reminded of that in the most unexpected way.
I was helping onboard a new UI Developer to our team. Even though I’m not directly working on his project, I found myself guiding him through the week—reviewing his work, recommending tools, and sharing little insights I’ve picked up over time.
And somewhere in the middle of explaining how to approach a certain problem, it hit me:
I’ve come a really long way.
I had almost forgotten how hard I worked to get here.
The Part I Don’t Talk About Enough
When I first joined my current company, I was a Product Designer. But even then, I had this growing curiosity about software development. I didn’t just want to design interfaces—I wanted to understand how they were built.
So I started small. I took self-paced courses. I found a mentor who was a frontend engineer and met with them weekly. I experimented after hours. Eventually, I made the leap and joined a six-month full-stack bootcamp with General Assembly (which, by the way, completely changed the game for me).
But that wasn’t the whole story.
While I was learning, I was also networking within the company. I let people know I was interested in switching to development. I shadowed UI Developers, asked a LOT of questions, and even pushed a few defect fixes to our repos.
Then one day, a position opened up. I interviewed. And I got it.
It felt like a huge moment at the time. But somewhere along the way, as the routines of day-to-day work settled in… I forgot.
Until This Week
Watching this new developer join our team—seeing the curiosity, the learning curve, the moments of uncertainty—it reminded me of me.
Of all the hours I spent struggling through concepts that felt impossible.
Of every small win that felt like a breakthrough.
Of how far I’ve really come.
And honestly? It reignited something in me. That same passion I had for building, learning, and problem-solving came rushing back. And for the first time in a while, I felt proud—really proud—of the knowledge I’ve worked so hard to gain.
The Lesson I’m Taking With Me
It’s so easy to forget our own progress.
To get caught up in what we haven’t learned yet, instead of celebrating how far we’ve come.
If you’ve been feeling stuck or like you’re not moving fast enough—pause for a second. Think back to where you were a year ago. Two years ago.
You’re probably standing in the middle of what used to feel impossible.
And if you ever need a reminder of your own growth? Try helping someone who’s just starting out. It’s incredible how much it can teach you about yourself.
If you’re thinking about making a leap into development like I did, I can’t recommend General Assembly enough. It made a huge difference for me:
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