5 Habits That Made Me a Better Developer (and How You Can Build Them Too).

Becoming a better developer isn’t just about mastering the latest JavaScript framework or learning a new backend language. It’s about building consistent habits that sharpen your thinking, improve your workflow, and help you solve real-world problems with clarity.

In this article, I’ll share the five habits that transformed how I write code, work with teams, and grow as a developer. Whether you're a junior trying to break into the field or an experienced coder feeling stuck, these habits can make a big difference in your career—and sanity.

1. Code Every Day – No Matter How Small

Consistency beats intensity.

I’m not talking about building a new SaaS project daily. It can be as small as:

Solving one LeetCode challenge

Fixing a bug in your side project

Trying a new CSS animation

By coding every day—even 15 minutes—I kept my mind engaged. I stayed sharp. More importantly, it helped me avoid that frustrating feeling of "where was I?" every time I opened a file after 3 days off.

Tip: Use the 100DaysOfCode challenge to keep yourself accountable.

2. Read Code – Not Just Write It

I used to think writing code was the only way to improve.

Wrong.

Reading other developers’ code (especially in open-source projects) showed me:

Different naming styles

Better file organization

How clean code actually looks in real apps

It taught me what to do—and what to avoid.

Sometimes I learned more from bad code than good code.

3. Take Notes Like a Dev Journalist

We all Google the same errors. The difference is: do you write down the solution?

Every time I solve a problem, I write:

The error

The cause

The solution

A short explanation

These notes are gold. They saved me hours in the long run.

Bonus: many of my blog posts came straight from my dev notes.

Writing = remembering. Remembering = power.

4. Ask “Why” Before “How”

StackOverflow gives fast answers. But I trained myself to pause and ask:

Why does this fix work?

Why does this error happen?

Why does this function behave like this?

This shift in thinking made me better at debugging, architecture, and system design.

Understanding the “why” helped me stop memorizing—and start mastering.

5. Teach What You Learn (Even in a Tweet)

You don’t need to be a YouTuber or write books.

Sometimes, writing a tweet explaining closures or recording a 2-minute Loom video for a teammate is enough.

When I teach:

I realize what I don’t understand

I simplify complicated things

I learn faster and deeper

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. – Einstein (probably)

These habits didn’t make me a 10x developer overnight—but they built something more powerful: momentum.

If you’re serious about growing as a developer, pick one habit from this list and start today. Then build on it. Brick by brick. Line by line.

What’s one habit that made YOU a better developer?

Let’s build a thread of tips in the comments and grow together.

Notes:-

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