At the time of this post, I wouldn't call myself a developer. My experience in coding involves one Python, SQL, and two Java courses so far. At best, I'm at the very beginning of my journey.

But I'm not letting that stop me.

There's something about myself that I've learned during my journey taking online courses over the past year and a half. This lesson had to be learned over and over by yours truly, and I'm fairly certain it has happened to you as well.

I get distracted very easily... and I find that the main distraction is, of course, from my smart phone.

Just think of the irony of it all! A hand-held computer which has evolved into a computing machine that is often more reliable than a full sized PC! In our hands we hold more access to all the knowledge in the world faster than the countless generations before us, yet I find this wonderfully useful device hinders me when it comes to my work.

I work in manufacturing all day. It's hot, and there's no service or Wifi to allow me to get distracted other than breaks. That portion of my life is not what I'm worried about. Between work and family life with a loving wife and an unstoppable toddler on my hands, it's the precious few hours in the week that I am supposed to be filling with productivity in completing assignments, reading materials, and hopefully some off-subject programming on my own as I flail to grasp my first language fully. Yes, this is where I get distracted.

My phone has caused me to get horribly behind in more than one session of classes over the past few months, causing my stress and anxiety to skyrocket, affecting my life in every aspect to where I'm left as an over-caffeinated, overworked mess.

I knew I had to make a decision, and if you're facing this problem as well, you can solve it with me.

Tonight, as I finish this post, is the first time I've turned my phone down, and left it charging in the other room. To truly make the most of the time you have to learn at the starting line of your development career, you absolutely MUST eliminate all distraction. For me, it wasn't enough to turn off my notifications. My phone still sat next to my mouse, taunting me with the full possibility of laughs or cringes or interesting facts that Reddit, imgur or Twitter could throw at me.

I would give in. Every. Single. Time.

If you're struggling with keeping focus where it matters, whether you're building your first website, learning the basic data structures of Java, or just trying to figure out what you want to do with your life... take the distraction away. Don't try to resist it. Run from it!

It will do you so much good. It already has for me.

-Ryan