When I started using Bitcoin back in 2014, the first thing I wanted to do was start programming. Having no prior background in this, I chose freeCodeCamp as my development tool, and when I began writing my first lines of JavaScript, I realized it was much deeper than I cared to admit.

My dream was to work directly with Bitcoin..

That didn’t stop me from pursuing my goals. While discipline wasn’t my ally at the time, research was my main weapon. I discovered the free self-paced courses from Chaincode Labs, which provide all the necessary tools to get started as a Bitcoin or Lightning Network developer.

I also gave up on those along the way, but this time it was because they required much more than I had imagined—a radical shift in how I approached things and, above all, something I wasn’t ready to commit to at the time: discipline and dedication. When I was on the verge of throwing in the towel, putting everything I knew about Bitcoin into the "freezer," I had a revealing conversation with a friend who remains anonymous to this day. It was during the pandemic, on one of those calls, that the conversation took a significant turn.

"I just want to work with Bitcoin and get paid in Bitcoin. I swear, I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find a way to connect with anything," I told him, to which there was a pause before he replied:
"You’re already working with Bitcoin. What more are you looking for?"

I couldn’t grasp what he meant and asked for a more detailed explanation. "Look," he said, "you’re trying to publish a book for free, but people often send you money or cryptos that you convert to Bitcoin." I nodded in agreement.
"Then what you’re doing is working and buying Bitcoin. Think about it: what you’re doing takes time—your work, I mean. Your work takes time, and your time is valued in Guaraníes. You’ve told me a thousand times how the Guaraní loses value and that you don’t want to save in Guaraníes anymore. So, you turn to Bitcoin. What you’re really doing is buying Bitcoin to protect your work because, as things stand, it seems like we won’t be retiring anytime soon. Instead of letting your savings melt away, you’ve decided to work and convert it into Bitcoin, which, according to you, is the hardest currency with the least depreciation. Can you see how you’re already accepting Bitcoin? You’re already working with Bitcoin, even if your job pays you in Guaraníes."

I was stunned. It was one of those aha moments where you don’t even know how to explain what you’re doing until someone else spells it out perfectly. His explanation was so spot-on that it was almost scary. I realized that my quest shouldn’t be about finding a way to fit into the gears of Bitcoin core programming. That doesn’t mean I’ve given up on the hope of programming someday; it just means it’s currently on pause.

It also means that, just like me, you have skills—soft or hard—that are valued in money. That money can be converted into Bitcoin, and without even realizing it, without intending to, you’re already participating in the Bitcoin ecosystem, protecting your money from inflation.

My first message of the year, dear reader, is this: use Bitcoin without resorting to tricks or learning new skills. Instead, do what you’re best at today and convert a small fraction into satoshis.

Does it work? Yes.
Will it make you a millionaire? No.
Will you be better off? Much better.

Since you're read it all, take this meme: