

Ask HN: Struggling to code; advice on breaking out of the slump? - StumpsMcGee

I struggle to write any code nowadays.  Whether it is at my job, or during my spare time, I am often disgusted by the simple coding tasks ahead of me, even if they&#x27;re part of a project that I myself conjured.  I have to exert significant effort to overcome this new mental friction.<p>Despite this, my employment is reasonably safe, due partially to the quality of work I do eventually produce, and partially to my simple incumbency there.  My struggle has seemed to have gone unnoticed by my employer, who continues to give me glowing reviews.<p>I&#x27;m a web programmer, working from home for a tiny company, who has been stable but stagnant for years.  There is no career advancement or challenge in my position, but the pay and working conditions are too good to leave the job without good reason.<p>I have no shortage of side project ideas, some profit-oriented, some intellectual curiosities, but since I struggle to write anything, my Github profile is barren, and my entrepreneurial portfolio is equally empty.  Finding the energy to change either seems like an insurmountable challenge.<p>My poor productivity shatters my confidence; am I a 10x programmer who is just languishing, or am I a hack?  I&#x27;m pessimistic about finding an job at an A-list company who would give me the kind of treatment I&#x27;m used to, while offering challenging and interesting new tasks to boot.<p>I feel trapped; as I see it, I can either:
A) Work nights and weekends, burning the candle at both ends, and hope that despite all my struggle, I make something compelling before I burn out entirely.
B) Gamble on a change of scenery: Change jobs, arbitrarily.  This would mean I&#x27;d likely have to commute to an office, which I am lothe to do, and probably take a significant pay cut.  Even doing so, I&#x27;d have no guarantee that new work would improve my situation.<p>Has this happened to any of you?  How does this not happen to everyone? What am I missing? Any advice on how to break free?
======
Raphmedia
Seems like you need a personal project that you would love. Build a blog for
your wife. Give a portfolio to a friend that love photography. But first, tell
them that you will make it for them. And tell them when. "Hey, Joe, what about
I build you a portfolio website for next month?" Or better yet, make it as a
birthday present to someone you like. I'm sure you will manage to finish his
gift on time.

