Ask HN: How do you stay sharp?

Start your own company: you'll learn a ton, and be forced to stay sharp, since your survival depends on it.

> I work on side projects.

I'm intrigued this is here, because when I read the title this was my immediate suggestion.

In my experience there's no better way to learn than working on side projects that explore technologies that you don't already know. Is this what you do?

Writing an app on the same framework/languages as you use at work is also definitely valuable, it'll give you more depth of knowledge that's then directly applicable at work (in fact when starting a new job I recommend doing exactly this) but it won't stretch you much intellectually. To do that you kind of have to force yourself to use completely new stuff.

I kept learning til 30. Now i'm still learning at 33 but it feels different. Once you learn enough is more about the ability of connecting dots.

I.e. I know a load of libraries and built a fair deal myself, including a orm and a crud framework from ground up, and I know many of the pitfalls (I fell for many of them but I was young and foolish) however I also learned the why stuff grlets built a certain way and now it's ten time easier to pick up new things (yeah ember does this and that because it solves the problem x in a way I already saw done here and there, which is better than this other way under these conditions)

Another example I've been around to see the latency/bandwidth problem arise so many times it's not even funny anymore. and each generation solve it's time solution (initially it was the terminal because bandwith was the problem, then the thick client because latency, then it was again dumb data screen within browser, then ajax become viable so code moved back to the browser, last framework are so bloated latency is an issue again and they are moving templates back server side once more)

Learn enough new thing about solving the problem yourself, and basically you'll know every class of library that tries to solve that specific domain. Then you are free to learn higher level stuff. If you start too much high then it's easy to be lost in a flurty as technology shift without understanding the whys.

Go outside your comfort zone, learn a functional language and give a talk on it. Learn higher-level maths. (IMO) There's satisfaction and clarity to be found there if your current path isn't challenging you. You might find that it takes you into new roles too.

Careers and jobs and employers and technologies all come and go.

Figure out what interests you yourself, whether you want to go somewhere or do something, and how you might get there. What's important to you.

If your current job can or does line up with that, great. If not, then start working toward your target and toward a different role at your employer, a different employer, or self-employment.

Have enough cash and/or short-term assets available to operate for at least six months without a job. Maybe longer, depending on what the job market looks like in your area.

As for yourself: diet, exercise, regular sleep and regular meals, and working sane hours. Work on your own mental, social, and physical health. Your finances and your cash flow and your sleep and your meal schedules are all part of this health, too.

Schedule time for yourself. Outside of your job. Both to learn and grow, and for socializing. Seek out folks that will challenge you — either at work, at university, at a Maker's event, or outside. Seek out and talk with folks of different backgrounds and interest areas and any of the different genders and of different personal histories and experiences. Learn a new language.

Once you have pondered on these and have your plans underway, then you can start working on the technologies and the tools and the online courses and classes and the rest. If they're applicable, and how you best learn.

While your employer will certainly like the focus on your career, life is more about yourself.