I am by no means an expert programmer, but this is my strategy to stay relevant and employable. Obviously I'm not perfect and break my own rules, but this is wh

I am by no means an expert programmer, but this is my strategy to stay relevant and employable. Obviously I'm not perfect and break my own rules, but this is what in my mind an optimal honkycat would get up to: Read books, lots of them. Books about programming, math, computer science, game design, user interfaces, graphic design, productivity, investing, meditation, history, criminal justice, fantasy, science-fiction, and everything else. Watch conferences. Go to your local tech meet-ups. Meet people. Ask questions. Take classes that interest you in your city. If I get too bored at a job I find a new job. You can't stop learning. What you are going to be good at is what you do for your day job. Have a schedule. Work out frequently, keep my health in order. Wake up EARLY in the morning and work on side projects BEFORE WORK. If I wait until after work, I'm going to be too tired to actually get anything useful done. Turn off the computer/tv for a few hours before bed every night, and read books instead of surfing ( social media of choice ).