The Leetcode Hustle Was Burning Me Out — Until I Discovered This

From coding dread to daily curiosity — how stepping back helped me move forward.

1. The Problem: Burnout in Disguise

A few months ago, I was deep in Leetcode. Not casually prepping — like, timer-on, headphones-in, daily-grind kind of deep. I had interviews lined up at big tech companies, and I convinced myself this was the only way through the gate. So, every evening after work, I’d sit down, crack open a fresh “medium” problem, and stare at the screen like it owed me something.

But here’s the thing: it wasn’t working.

Not because I couldn’t solve problems — but because I was starting to dread the whole ritual. My creativity felt drained. I stopped tinkering on side projects, my motivation dipped, and a quiet frustration settled in. I wasn’t coding because I loved it anymore — I was coding to pass a test. It made me question:

What’s the real goal here? Do I want to be a better engineer or just better at passing interviews?

2. The Shift: From Proving Myself to Practicing My Craft

The moment of clarity came weirdly, while doom-scrolling Reddit. Someone said: “Leetcode is a secret handshake, not the job.” That line hit hard…