You already know Java so you have a huge stepping stone into the Android world, buy a book and work through the examples and then start your own project, start small as other people have suggested. It's hugely satisfying watching your app being downloaded and used!
Ask HN: Hacker wannabe demotivated & depressed in need of help
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Re: Ask HN: Hacker wannabe demotivated & depressed in need of help
#12Let's build something some of your ideas(the hardest preferably) in node, contact is in the profile.
I can teach you some node also. Let's hack something.
Re: Ask HN: Hacker wannabe demotivated & depressed in need of help
#13You are probably stressed at work, and miss flow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) or what programmers call "not being in the zone".
Find a significant chunk of time, like a free Saturday. Make sure it's quiet and you cannot be disturbed. Set a manageable toy goal - easy enough that you can do it, but let it be a bit challanging to keep things interesting. Build it! That should give you a nice push forward.
PS. You could also find interesting questions on StackOverflow - many times they offer a bit of challenge, and you can cherry-pick issues in your comfort zone, also helps you practice writing.
Also, have a break from work! Cut the stress.
Re: Ask HN: Hacker wannabe demotivated & depressed in need of help
#14I'm a bit late to the topic, so quite possibly you've moved on, but
> I keep failing and getting frustrated as soon as I hit a wall, I didn't used to be like this but now everything seems too hard
> depressed and demotivated
Just one of many possibilities, but you could have a neurological disorder ("I didn't used to be like this" and depression, no motivation). Go to a decent doctor and get checked for a bunch of things. Could be something treatable like vitamin deficiency.
In any case, feel free to ping me, emails in my profile.
Re: Ask HN: Hacker wannabe demotivated & depressed in need of help
#15You need to pick a small project and most importantly finish it, then pick a bigger on, then a bigger one...
If you never finish a project then your always going to be depressed :)
Re: Ask HN: Hacker wannabe demotivated & depressed in need of help
#16What are these walls that you hit? Is the problem too hard to solve with your amount of experience or something else? Perhaps you should explore why the walls happen.
On finding something to build, it can be tough. You have to keep thinking about things that scratch an itch of yours but are also practical to build. For the longest time, I used to think and even plan out ideas that really seemed to be like science fair projects: 2D drawing using contour maps to design 3D structures like for game design, an app to tell me how to fit a bunch of boxes optimally into a truck/van, a form creator (an ultimate GUI over DB to replace many GUI-over-DB apps). The problem is that I wouldn't use any of these for my own needs because I don't need these things. And I didn't know anyone who actually needed this stuff and could use it if I built it. Find something that scratches an itch. Do you need something but all the existing tools aren't quite right? Go for it. And don't worry about using "cool" tech to get it done. If Clojure can be used to solve the problem and you really want to learn it, great. If not, then stick to what you know but focus on getting the problem solved and building something of value to you.
Perhaps a new job might give you a fresh environment, a change of pace, or something different to learn during work. That could be used to stimulate more or different learning on the side.
As far as feeling depressed when you see hackers who have done a ton of stuff, I imagine everyone looks at someone who has done more than them and wonders the same. What matters is that you do more than what you are currently doing. There are times that I wish I had started sooner on things or been more passionate about things. I can't change the past now. But I can change the future.