The following article comes from the book I am reading. The book is called "Ship It". I post this article because it describes exactly what I believe. I have been privately practicing these principles for many years. And, it works!
From Preface, Ship It.
One of the smartest investments you can make in yourself and your career is to surround yourself with the right people—they are the finest resource you’ll ever find. These are the people who are already doing what you want to be doing, or what you want to learn to do. Find those people who can do exactly what you want to do, or at least find the really smart people who can figure out how to do anything. Spend as much time around them as you can. Learn from them by helping them and getting them to help you. Spending time with people of this caliber helps you learn and become better at your job (no matter what your job is).
This is a great idea, but getting direct access to the very best of the best and brightest can be difficult. People such as Martin Fowler, Kent Beck, and the Pragmatic Programmers are not available to most of us, but their books, articles, and presentations are. So start reading books. One a month shouldn’t be too painful. But don’t stop there; learn a new programming language, or study a different development process. And while you are learning and reading, find ways to apply these new ideas to your current work. Bring in new ideas to your day job. In doing so you will not only help improve your company but you will also (more importantly) improve yourself.
Expose yourself to new ideas. Rack your brain to find ways to apply these new ideas to your existing work. It is easier to give up and say that a new idea does not apply, but the goal is to learn to think in a different way. Live outside the box (or at least build a bigger box). Learn to overlay seemingly unrelated concepts and ideas.
By analyzing and critiquing your environment and process, you will find the weak spots. Maybe you will help make improvements on this project, or perhaps the next. But you will have practiced a new way of thinking that will serve you well no matter where you work. Most people never learn this concept, and fewer still become good at it.
So, as you finish each section of the book, stop and spend five minutes trying to find ways to use each concept for what you are doing today. Remember, the easiest answer, which requires no thought, is to say it cannot be done. Work harder than that! If you cannot find a way to apply the concept, grab a colleague and ask them. If you cannot see it through your own eyes, look though somebody else’s. Knowing how to leverage co-worker’s experience is a hallmark of a journeyman in any field.
Take what you read in this book (and the entire Pragmatic Starter Kit), and find a way to apply every concept at your job. While you will see direct benefits from reading this book, the greatest benefit you can carry away from it would be the exercise of learning to apply it.
Have fun!
