5 ways to stay accountable to your learning goals in 2021

Planning to learn to code in 2021? We know it can feel overwhelming — especially if you’ve never coded before. But you’ve got this! And we’ve put together a list of 5 tips and resources to help you stay accountable to your coding goals this year.

Set bite-sized, achievable goals

Setting a big, lofty goal can be exciting in the moment, but can sometimes feel so overwhelming that it’s easy to just give up. That’s why we recommend starting small. If you’re not a runner, resolving to start running one morning a week for 20 minutes may feel less overwhelming than resolving to run a marathon. The same goes for learning to code.

Set bite-sized, achievable goals for yourself in 2021. This’ll ensure that you don’t get overwhelmed. Give yourself the opportunity to get your feet wet, make learning to code a part of your regular routine, and let the smaller goals be the catalyst for something even bigger.

In 2020, Codecademy community member Ioannis set a small goal for himself. “My goal was to start learning a new language and get at least one Certification,” he shared in a post in the Codecademy Forums. In the end, Ioannis earned 20 certificates before the end of the year.

Not sure what goals to set for this year? Check out our list of 29 bite-sized goals for learning to code in 2021.

Make your goals and progress public

Let the world know what you plan to do — and how you’re progressing towards your goals. When you tell others what you plan to accomplish it makes it harder to give up. Tell your friends, tell your family, or even share your goals on social media, like JP, who has been sharing daily progress and recently hit 100 days of code!

You may also decide to record your progress along the way in a blog. This can be a fun way to look back on your journey later to see how far you’ve come — plus, logging your own experiences may be useful to other people who are on learning journeys of their own!

Set weekly targets

You’ll find weekly targets when you log into your Codecademy account and click on “My Home.” Your progress will appear in the top right corner of the screen and you can click to update your weekly target. Decide how many days you want to learn each week and then track your progress.

We’ll keep track of how many days you’ve logged into Codecademy to learn in the current week. Plus, we’ll show you how many weeks in a row you’ve met your target.

Take the 30-day challenge

If you’re up for a bit of a bigger goal, start a 30-day challenge! Commit to learning how to code every day for 30 days. Even if you just spend a few minutes each day, logging in daily can help you turn learning to code into a habit that’ll continue even after the 30 days are over.

When you sign up for the 30-day challenge, we’ll help you stay motivated and keep track of your progress. Worried you’ll forget to log in? We’ll send you daily or weekly reminders via email at the time of day of your choosing.

Wondering what it’s like to code every day for 30 days? Check out Codecademy community member Ella’s forum post, Reflections on a 35-Day Streak.

Speaking of the Codecademy community, being a part of a community is a great way to stay accountable to your goals. Share your progress, ask questions when you’re stuck, get inspired by the stories of other learners, and make new friends that share your motivations and interests.

Looking for a community? Here are a few places to get started:

• Codecademy Forums: Join the conversation right here in the Codecademy Forums. Chat with other learners, share projects and get feedback, get help, get inspired by success stories, and more!
• Codecademy Chapters: Codecademy Chapters are community-led local groups designed to help you stay motivated, get support on your learning journey, and connect with other learners near you, in-person or virtually. Join a chapter in your local area — or start your own!
• Twitter: Join the conversation and meet other people that are learning to code on Twitter with hashtags like #100DaysOfCode and #CodeNewbie.

Looking for more advice for sticking with your coding goals? We’ve compiled a list of 7 tips for staying motivated from our community members. Here’s to accomplishing all of your goals and more in 2021!