Learning to code is hard.
Not because the concepts are impossible—but because the world is full of distractions.
You sit down to study loops… and suddenly, you’re on YouTube.
You open VS Code… and Twitter pops up.
You planned to learn for an hour… and somehow the day slips away.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth: focus is a skill, and as a veteran, you already have the muscle to build it.
What Distraction Looks Like (and Why It Wins)
- Endless tutorials with no goal
- App-switching every 5 minutes
- Trying to multitask learning and entertainment
- Quitting when it gets hard
The real enemy isn’t the content—it’s the lack of structure.
How I Built a Focused Learning Flow
✅ 1. Create a Daily Learning Slot
For me, it was 0600–0800. That was “mission time.”
Same place. Same routine. No excuses.
✅ 2. Use the “One-Goal” Rule
I started every session with one clear objective:
“Learn how for-loops work.”
“Finish 3 coding challenges.”
“Debug this function.”
Clarity kills distraction.
✅ 3. Turn Off Alerts Like It’s a Field Op
No Slack. No tabs. No texts.
Just you, your code, and your objective. Like a patrol with no distractions.
Tools That Helped Me Stay on Target
- Pomofocus.io – Focus timer with break cycles
- Cold Turkey – Blocks websites
- Notion – Track your learning goals and progress
- Noise-canceling headphones + lofi playlists
Why Vets Excel Here
We’re already trained to:
- Stick to a plan
- Shut out noise
- Push through discomfort
- Debrief and adjust
That’s exactly what focused learning demands.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to hustle 10 hours a day.
You need to protect one focused hour, every day.
Discipline over distraction. That’s the secret.
Stick with me at jameshenderson.online—where the code gets cleaner, and the mind gets sharper, one deep session at a time.