Everyday my mind is blown. I realize I can do something I never thought I would be able to do. Whether it is in my life as a programmer or in some other aspect of my life, like rock climbing. Rock climbing and programming are very similar. They both involve extreme dedication and hard work. They require a unique passion and love. They require being calculated and focused. They require tons of planning and methodically thought out decisions. They are both about solving problems. About viewing something massive and breaking it down and tackling it in small chunks. Tackling what I never thought I could. About tackling things in a thought out planned way. It’s about being able to distinguish the million different ways of accomplishing a goal/task and executing against that in an educated/planned fashion.

I am able to approach things in a different manner now. To understand the final goal and know that there are 1000 steps to get there, but its all about taking it one step at a time and just taking that first step. I have become someone who sees a problem and does not get worried about the complexity of it but rather embraces that complexity. I have become someone who does not need to be worried about failing, because some of the best lessons are taught in the face of failure. That being said, it is only a failure if you learn nothing from it. I have become someone who is able to do so many more things then before because of the individuals at The Iron Yard. Because of both what I have been taught and what I have been challenged with.  I can only become successful if I can take the risk.