I have read several books on both software development and personal development, from Design Patterns, Data Structures and Algorithms, to How to Win Friends and Influence People. But if someone were to ask/asked (?) me what books I would recommend to improve as a software engineer, it would only be one: Atomic Habits.

Atomic Habits teaches you how to build good habits and get rid of bad ones. In software development, the most important thing is to improve every single day. It won’t be easy, but as long as you keep improving, you’ll achieve your goals.

After implementing the ideas from Atomic Habits, I found myself more consistent in coding every day, even when the tasks felt overwhelming. This gradual improvement over time led to better problem-solving skills, increased productivity, and ultimately, my current job.

One of my main takeaways that I read in Atomic Habits and the one that helped me the most is: Just be consistent. Do it every day. Even if it's just for 5 minutes, open your laptop and code. It doesn't have to be good, it doesn't have to be a lot but do it. If you open your laptop and start coding, that's a small victory. And these small victories lead you to big wins.

For me, the hardest part was getting started. Some days, it felt like I just didn't have the energy to code. But because opening the book for 5 minutes felt like a victory in my mind, I could do that, and once I started, I ended up coding for hours. This approach not only helped me develop consistency in coding but also in other areas of my life, as I learned the power of small, sustainable actions over time.

In the end, Atomic Habits showed me that success isn’t built on one big leap, but on countless small steps, taken consistently. And those small steps, no matter how insignificant they may seem at first, are the foundation for achieving long-term success.