Progress of my 3 - month Leetcode Journey

I’ve started my 3-month leetcode journey in October 2024. It’s been 1 month: Here are the results.

I set out a goal to practice Data Structures and Algorithms because I felt as though I wasn’t a true programmer unless I had these concepts down pat.

In one month, I managed to solve 53 problems. Majority of these being ‘easy-level’ questions. So far, i’d say it’s definitely been worth it. Here’s why.

More ideas to automate at my job.

I’ve been a DevOps engineer for 2 years and things can get redundant for weeks at work sometimes. I don’t necessarily get a chance to improve my programming skills, mainly configuring Terraform or JSON files, or provisioning cloud resources. The more I solve leetcode problems, the more innovative ideas I get for Python automation at work.

My improved leetcode ability has given me more confidence to code out automation scripts and hence, making me more valuable at work. Leetcode helped me realize almost every task on-hand can be scripted and automated.

Not fearing layoffs.

Solving daily leetcode problems for 30-days, and building this habit of daily coding has given me more confidence in the unknown. I feel like I’m developing valuable interviewing skills and if push comes to shove, attaining a new job won’t be too difficult.

This has been a big component as my daily anxieties have reduced significantly. The impostor syndrome I have is slowly diminishing and I truly feel daily coding has brought up thousands of possibilities in the future.

Thinking sharply.

After University, there were seasons of my life where I didn’t practice my critical thinking skills. Doing Leetcode has re-ignited the problem-solving skills that are necessary in our day-to-day lives. I don’t want to be a dull adult, I want to have a sharp brain even as I age in life.

Summary

It’s only been 30-days and I see many benefits of incorporating a daily leetcode habit. It builds confidence in me, makes me feel valuable at work, opens my eyes to many new possibilities and keeps my brain sharp. Overall, it has been worth it and I would recommend for everyone to practice their own coding skills.