Wow, 2226 words and not one of them was "customer" or "user". ("user groups" doesn't count because in this context the user is "me".) That's the whole problem

Wow, 2226 words and not one of them was "customer" or "user". ("user groups" doesn't count because in this context the user is "me".) That's the whole problem with this; it's entire focus was on "me" and not on "others". I have always believed that the best way to transcend mediocrity is to focus on others, not yourself. All this talk about mentors, technologies, methodologies, communities, opinions, and intelligence is about oneself and while probably will provide some improvement, you won't really get to the next level until you find a way to apply it. Find a customer with a difficult problem. Find a way to solve it with whatever it takes. Trust yourself to rise to the occasion. That's the best way to become a better developer.