So you want to learn a new technical skill, and you've heard a lot about programming and you've decided this is the new skill you want to learn.

You keep wondering how you are going to acquire this new skill of programming and as a result you start googling a lot of things about programming.

The only problem is that, the internet is full with a lot of information about what you should and shouldn't do.

You will have a lot of people presenting you with a lot of technology to learn and by the end of the day, you're going to get confused.

In this post, I'm going to be talking about four steps you can take if you want to learn how to code.

These steps are:

1. Set a goal

This is really important. Not just in programming but everything else. What do you want to achieve? What do you want to be able to build? Which area of programming do you want to go into? You need to have answers to these questions. Without a set goal, you're going to spend more time trying to learn how to code and nothing will ever really satisfy you

This step can actually take you quite some time, but it is definitely worth it.

2. Choose a programming language:

Once you've completed the first step, you'll be ready to choose your first programming language.

Choosing your first programming language can sometimes be a hassle for a lot of beginners.

There are a lot of amazing options out there and sometimes you just wish you can learn them all, all at once.

Well, before picking up a new programming language, you need to consider the following:

a. The popularity of that language

The reason why this is so important is because you need to a language that is already used by a lot of programmers.

If there are a lot of programmers using this particular language, it will be easier to find tutorials or code examples to learn from.

As a beginner, it wouldn't be very nice to start switching between different programming languages in order to learn new concepts.

b. The job market

Some people actually go into programming because they believe they can find a promising job.

If you are one of those people, then it will be really important to check out the job opportunities available to you both locally and remotely.

If you are learning how to program because of job opportunities and there are a lot of javascript jobs available around you, it wouldn't really be advisable to learn something else like java or ruby.

c. Your interest

This is all about what really excites you about programming.

Do you love to play and build games? You can become a game developer. Do you think you will enjoy coding out web applications? You can consider web development.

Doing the things that really excite you, can really help you learn faster.

d. Learning curve

Choose something easy, you're just starting out.

Having a good understanding of the basics of programming can really help you to become a very good programmer.

The best programmers know their basics very well.

If you choose an easy language, it will be easier for you to learn those basic programming concepts.

It wouldn't be very nice that while you are trying to learn those new concepts, you also struggle to understand the syntax of a new programming language.

3. Look for a course:

These days there are a lot of resources online to help you learn code. There are both free and paid ones.

You can go through YouTube and find cool videos that can help you learn or you can also buy a course on udemy. It's totally up to you.

You need to find content that you can easily understand. If you come across anything you don't understand, you can google them.

However, I would advise that you find a course that has a good structure and gradually follow it step by step.

4. Practice

Programming is a skill, and just like every other skill, you need to practice in order to become proficient.

Once you are done with your courses and you have a good understanding of the basics, you can move on to practicing and building out projects.

Start building out your dream projects. This is where the real fun begins. This is really important because once you successfully complete one project, it will prompt you to build another. And by the time you successfully complete a lot of projects, your skill and experience will develop.

Learning how to code still remains one of the most valuable skill anyone can learn.

Be patient with the learning process and soon you'll begin to notice progress.

Happy coding!!