Hey everyone,

Today, I’m taking a big step and breaking my Codeforces streak of 449 days. It’s been an incredible journey, and I wanted to share how it all started, the lessons I learned, and how it changed me.

It all began with my senior, pranavajith, who motivated me to start solving problems on Codeforces. He encouraged me to maintain a streak, telling me how consistency is key to improving problem-solving skills. He also advised me to solve three questions daily to build muscle memory and improve my coding skills.

At first, I followed his advice religiously, solving three questions every day. But to be honest, some days I focused only on solving three easy problems, thinking that solving more questions was the key to improvement. That’s when my friend, dreameater69, introduced me to a better approach. He explained that while quantity matters, the quality of problems is even more important. He said: “It’s better to solve one hard question than three easy ones.”

Initially, I didn’t fully get his idea because I believed solving more questions would lead to faster progress. But over time, I realized he was right. A mix of solving both good (hard) and more questions is what truly helps you improve. This mindset shift worked in my favor, and I can confidently say it played a big role in helping me land an internship at ThoughtSpot.

This journey not only improved my problem-solving skills but also taught me the value of consistency and focus. I’m incredibly grateful to my friends, family, and everyone else who supported me throughout this journey. pranavajith, dreameater69, ojasvitripathi, _sonu777, freak_in, Cyrusss, Naitik_jain, sam_miller17, abhishek0053, keyur14113, SJ_0312, Tony_Garg, spacehacksggalaxy1125.

To anyone reading this:

Don’t lose hope, no matter how tough it seems. Things will get better, and your hard work will pay off. Just believe in yourself and break the glass when the time feels right. As for me, I’m taking a break from my streak for now. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but if anyone wants to connect, feel free to reach out.

Thank you for being part of my journey.