I’ve come to realize that it’s just as hard to sit down and write code as it is to write text. There’s a romantic aura around coding. When you think about it, you picture yourself sitting there, solving problems with ease and style. But when you’re actually doing it, you struggle. Small, simple things like naming variables or deciding how to structure the code become tough calls to make, at least when working on personal projects.

This weekend, I spent a few hours working on one of my own projects, something I really want to be great. I’ve built something that works, with tests and everything, but I’ve already decided that most of it will be thrown away in favor of a different structure. And I’m fine with that. That’s the beauty of creating something for myself, whether it’s code or text. If I’m not happy with it, I’m free to discard it.

It doesn’t have to be permanent. I can choose to keep it or throw it away, but I still keep the lessons I’ve learned from it. Win-win.