Should I do programming if I don't enjoy it

It depends on what you want more: Money or Happiness.

Personally, I wouldn't do something that I didn't enjoy, though I personally enjoy programming.

I think it's crazy to do something like programming if you don't enjoy it, unless like rpstaller's example you only do it a couple hours a week for extra cash. To get really good at it, it helps to be passionate about it, so I wouldn't consider it as an actual career unless you know you like it now.

That said, how do you know you don't like programming? Have you had anyone to mentor you, or have you just started on your own? Have you worked with any other programmers that have been in the field for a while now? Everyone's personal story contributes a lot not only to their success, but to their actual enjoyment of it as well.

I think that's difficult to answer and the reason you don't like what you're doing is maybe because it's repetitive and you've done it all before?

I am not hugely technical but I love challenges so for me I enjoy doing programming which is solving new problems and exploring things I haven't done before.

If I had to spend all day making the same type of program over and over, I'd flip out.

Are you creating macros by any chance? Is there a possibility that you could make the process more automated so you can deliver your gigs really quickly and in the mean time work on some tasks you find more fulfilling?

Dont waste rest of your life for somethin you didnt enjoy... life is too short. You dont need coding when already find other way to make money.

Personally I don't do anything what is not interesting and enjoyable to me.
I love programming and really enjoy it . Cause this is the section where I can show my creativity.

Personally, I enjoy programming. I have made a lot of websites without any need. It is my hobby to research online to learn programming. It helps me to understand my university courses well too, as I'm student of Masters in Computer Science.

I started off my career as a software engineer in the banking sector. Loved the work but didn't love the "job" if that makes sense.

Started my own company several years ago. Did all of the early development work myself. In that case I still loved my work and loved my job even more.

From my personal experience, there is little enjoyment about creating things for other people. I found it impossible to be passionate about a clients project.

I found it impossible to not be passionate about my own projects.

Good Luck to you.

If it's paying the bills and worth your time making $4 on Fiverr, then keep doing it BUT approach it as only temporary.

It seems like you are limiting those skills by doing it on Fiverr. Custom programming for local businesses seems like you can make WAY more than Fiverr. Try getting on Ryan Rice's list (she likes to come up with WP plugins solutions for businesses and are make a living doing it): WarriorForum - Internet Marketing Forums - shabit87

As far as doing programming as a career...you won't be happy if you're doing it just for the money. You need to find out what was it that drew you into programming and why now you are hating it.

Ex. Teachers become teachers b/c the reward they get by seeing a student develop/ turn around and thank them for it is worth a "million dollars." However, that love gets buried in the bureaucracy and politics that suddenly overshadow the teacher student relationship. So, maybe becoming a private tutor or something similar would be a more suitable profession.

Likewise, maybe you love the anonymity of working with computers and the cool possibilities programmers can achieve. But, you are doing work that is limiting your creativity.

Or, maybe you need to reexamine what your were born to do. Check out the book Strength Finder 2.0 to see your natural talents.

-Charlie

doing something you like is better
if you don't like programing then let it go
and find another thing you like

No it is not possible ,
at first you have to love it then start it.

I used to offer a coding gig on Fiverr building scrapers, but I had most of the code pre-written/memorized because it was the same thing every time. The thing is, I can almost guarantee that any coding you do on Fiverr is worth more than $5 (unless you were like me and had the whole thing pre-written).

To answer your question directly, I would advise against doing something you don't enjoy for a living; the exception being, of course, that it pays a decent, reliable income (I'm talking 9-5).

I dont do programming but to touch up some sites... but from what I have seen, it is a lot more fun to program when you can make something you want or can be creative with, rather than doing repetitive work for others. Maybe you should try your own projects before you count out programming.

Yeah, I wouldn't quit programming just because the Fiverr work is boring. However, if you find that you don't enjoy doing it even when working on personal projects, then I guess it's just not for you. If everyone was cut out for coding, I'd be out of a job

Tony, for $5 there's no doubt that you don't like it.
What if you were making $30-$50/hour ?

I love programming and do it for a living. If you're not obsessive about finding the most efficient way to do something, if you don't think that other people's code sucks ass [I'll tell you now that Wordpress is the most terrible piece of rubbish I've ever seen!!!!], then programming's not for you.

Tony, I believe I can shed a little light here. I started a programming business back in 1990. It was great time to start and business was great for about the first 7 years as I was constantly coming up with new ideas and writing new code.

Then, it got to be a real challenge. I had a very hard time focusing on the code especially when the tasks got complex. I attributed it to ADD, however, it turns out it was a personality conflict not a disease.

After going through an online personality assessment, I found that my personality style would not allow me to concentrate for long periods of time. If I tried, I got very frustrated.

What I've learned over the years is that good programmers typically do not have good people skills but they can work on code for hours at a time with no problem. This is not being critical as we need them. It's just their style.

Let me say that we all have strengths and weaknesses. If you understand you personality and work within your strengths, you will enjoy it. Otherwise it can be very frustrating.

There are a number of companies that do this online which is the first step. Then you have to learn the strength for your style.

Regards,
Bob

Wayfarer, no it was MyProfile. As I remember, Meyers-Briggs was more of an "interest inventory" than pure personality assessment.

MyProfile does not take interests into consideration. It merely calculates you personality style based on a series of about 40 questions if I remember this correctly.

Here is what I tell my kids. (Especially since they are getting to an age where they are about to choose what they want to take in University.)

1 - It's good if you don't hate the work you're doing.

2 - It's good if you make lots of money at what you're doing.

3 - Work is only 35-40 hours a week.

4 - Spending the money you make is 128 hours per week. This time is much more fun if you have much more money.

In a nutshell, I don't think my kids should take "underwater basket weaving" in University because they love it. They won't get work after University and the "other 128 hours" a week will suck.

Me? Personally? I love programming.

I would not do something I do not like. Doing what I love make me feel happy and fulfilled.

I do programming as not to earn money because it is my passion and i am always hungry to invent something new and searching for new updates. If you not have passion to do programming then develop it as it is very good and feel nice.

Programming on Fiverr? Wow thats why your not enjoying it. I bet you would enjoy it much more if you were getting paid a decent wage for doing it. Get on Elance or Odesk and get paid proper for your work.

It can be a pain sometimes when you're just doing it for money. But if you don't enjoy it at all, I'd say it's time to do something else - life's too short.

I would not waste my time on anything I don't like doing, even if It makes money for me . Find your passion
Check out TopCoder.com, in the algorithms sections there are lots of task that I really like them, maybe you enjoy them too

If it is concerned about me then I would like to say that yes, I like programming. I had chosen this field by my own interest and now that I am a programmer, I really like doing this work. In addition to that I would also like to say that a person should always opt for the thing into which he is interested. He shouldn't do anything being bounded, otherwise he and his work both will be effected.

I personally enjoy programmig, i can even say i couldn't live without it. I had a lot of friends that tried it, didn't like it and couldn't perform it. So they quit. But it depends on each person..

Programming is a job or a hobby. If it's a hobby when it becomes troublesome to track down a bug or make the app work the tendency is to give up. When it's a job and you have to do those things it helps a lot more if you enjoy doing it.

I've been in software development now for nearly 30 years. I couldn't have done that if I didn't like the work.

If you don't like programming at all then give it a miss and hire a freelancer, you'll save yourself a lot of stress and probably get better results.

Programming is Fun. It always bring some new challenge to me. I love facing new challenges and that's the reason i enjoy doing programming.

Yeah, if you don't quite enjoy it, don't do it. But at least make sure that you have attempted to "appreciate" it's potential before giving it up.

well for me programming is everything. it is the job i love to do. but my advice is if you do not want to do it then don't. find something you like to do

The only reason to do something you don't enjoy is money. Let's face it - that's a pretty important reason. So I recommend figuring out what it is that you really enjoy doing, and in the meantime continue with programming to pay the bills. You could always continue taking some programming jobs on fiverr to make a little extra money, but if you don't enjoy it then definitely work towards finding a job that will make you feel fulfilled.

Yes enjoy programming and love it too much. But by profession i am internet marketing professional but when i got time from my job, i definitely do. Money is not every thing some time your hobbies matter for life above than money. So do programming and you will also enjoy friend.

sounds like a drag, maybe you should try focusing on something you like doing, and try getting money out of it.

If you don't enjoy it, i suppose at some point you will find it hard to improve!

Life is too short to do a job that you do not enjoy doing.

Programming is tedious work if you are not enjoying it.it fries your head.
If you are making good money then its okay

Yes, if you don't you should find something you like to do.

doing something you don't like, will stop you eventually from progressing

As the joker said.. If you're good at something, never do it for free. But then again, the Joker liked what he did. So i guess the answer to your question should be "no. Quit and do something that you like."

Life's to short to do something you dislike/hate. I've been there - you'll regret forcing something for the sake of money. Especially for 4 bucks a gig

One should not do anything where his/her interest doesn't lie. If you'll spend time doing something which you are good at and enjoy doing it, you'll probably excel in that field, rather than struggling at something which doesn't sticks to your brain and mood.

Well, depends is there something else you like, and that can bring you enough/more money than doing programming?

I think you should be happy first, but on the other hand, even money plays a part in your happiness

I like programming because I have interest in it and it can't bored me because I love to do tedious and some innovative jobs. May be there will some business in our life but we will earn a lot.

Do what you love to do and give it your very best. !

I think you should stay away from such a thing which you dont like to do even if its programming. Do programming only if you like it.

I love programming and designing ,thats why I do it....if I didn't i would be doing whatever I did love.

Don't do the Fiverr gigs if you don't enjoy them, but be sure to take advantage of your skills in another project. You could develop your own plugin or software which then you could make an offer of.

In my opinion, it's much more enjoyable if what you create something that you like and want to share with other people. In the process you could make a profit too.

Please skip it and go for the one you really do so as your mind will assist you to complete your tasks then.

I love programming

Yes, I like enjoy programming. I program from 7.30 A.M. to 10.30 P.M. I even forgot to take my lunch at time. I loves to do them.

But if are not interested in doing them please don't do it.