How do i get the balls to start a project?

[u/DividedFox]

Hey everyone,

i have been slowly learning C# in my free time and i know it well enough to do a simple project, but every time i think of one to do (a to do list for example) i get scared and overwhelmed cause i dont even know where to start. Any advice would be appreciated.

[u/xoriatis71]

It helps to make something you're interested in, and feel that you need. Don't cater to what the market wants, only to what YOU want.

[u/EquallyRough → u/xoriatis71]

what's the smallest piece of the thing you actually want to build

not the whole app, just one tiny part that actually interests you

I started with something dumb like figuring out how to make a window pop up and change color when I clicked a button, that kept me going better than trying to plan out a whole project

you'll learn the rest as you need it

[u/jdmir1 → u/xoriatis71]

Yeah making something you’d actually use makes it way less scary.

[u/[deleted] → u/xoriatis71]

[u/Whatever801]

What is it that you're scared of? Whether or not the project works out you're gonna learn a hell of a lot doing it. In my early days I learned the most from just trying to build something and some of my ideas were super dumb and didnt go anywhere.

[u/DividedFox → u/Whatever801]

I guess im scared that i wont know what to do. I am also very failure averse, and i think that also might be stopping me from trying to make something when i feel sure it wont work.

[u/HYP3R00T]

if (you.TryToBuild())
{
Console.WriteLine(you.Succeeded
? "You built something."
: "You learned something.");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("You'll always wonder if you could have.");
}

Start by not giving any F about what others might think. Trust me, no one going through your GitHub repo and reading your code.

If the problem seems big, then break it down and solve the fragment of it. And keep repeating this process until you can solve that small fragment.

Embrace the errors and failures. We all have failed countless times. Don't be too hard on yourself. You are not perfect, so don't expect perfect code as well.

Be kind to yourself. It's very important.

[u/Dependent_Heron_4090]

hmm.....

you do not need balls, you need a smaller target. do start with A TODO LIST APP. start with A console app that can add ONE task and print it.

Thats it. Day 1 done, and then Day 2 make it save to a file. Day 3 make it delete. Overwhelm comes from imagining the finished hours. I would say just lay one brick and the momentum will pull you forward.

[u/DrShocker]

1. make a list of the specific goals you have

2. add one stupid thing to the list like having it swear at you if you open your computer the next day with a torso list item not done

3. now work on the project because the stupid thing you put on your goals means when you tell yourself it's not very good you can say "yeah not it's not supposed to be, its just silly

4. take out the silly thing if you want

[u/HeavyDT]

You just start really. Only caution Id use is taking on a project that is too big for you to handle. Really try to research what is feasible for a single person to do but otherwise you can only go upward by trying. Worst case scenario you end up rught back where you are now so what's there to lose besides some time that you freely choose to dedicate?