What Software Engineering Taught Me About Designing a Better Life in 2026

Software doesn’t just appear.

It’s built, carefully, deliberately - on principles that help it stay robust, maintainable, and adaptable as it grows. And honestly? If those principles help engineers create systems that don’t crumble under pressure… why wouldn’t they help us build lives that feel just as steady?

This idea hit me after hearing Adama Lorna talk about applying engineering concepts to everyday life. I left that talk thinking, Okay Ruth, this is actually a slay.
So today, I’m borrowing from software engineering to share five tech principles you can use to design a more balanced, joyful, and purpose-driven 2026.

Let’s build your life like good software - intentional, expandable, and built to last.

1. KISS - But Make It Pareto: Focus on Your 20%

In tech, simplicity is gold.

In life, it’s sanity.

The Pareto Principle says 20% of the right inputs drive 80% of the outcomes. And honestly, this changed how I approach my goals.

There was a time I tried to do everything, every routine, every habit, every “productivity hack” the internet swore by. But I was spreading myself thin and collecting exhaustion, not results.

Now, I ask myself:

What’s the 20% that truly moves my life forward?

And am I actually prioritising it?

For me, that 20% looks like:

• Coding consistently (not perfectly)

• Moving my body

• Resting on purpose

• Maintaining my relationships

• Reviewing my week every Sunday

And that Sunday review? It’s become a signature ritual. I sit down, reflect on what went well, what didn’t, what needs adjusting… and I have literal receipts of my growth because of it. Every month, I can look back and see patterns, lessons, progress, actual data from my life.

Fewer tasks. More intention. Better outcomes.

2. DRY - Don’t Repeat Yourself (Automate Your Life)

In software, repeating code leads to errors.

In life, repeating tasks leads to fatigue.

So I started automating where I could.

A few of my favourites:

Apple Shortcuts for recurring tasks, from opening specific apps in my morning routine to setting timers for focused work.

Automated budgeting: The moment I get paid, my money moves itself. Automatically into different pots attached to cards, groceries, eating out, savings, bills. I don’t budget manually anymore. I don’t calculate how much I “have left.” My routines do the thinking for me.

Meal prepping: Every Sunday, I cook a few meals and rotate from a “bank” of go-to recipes, nutritious, affordable, easy. It removes the daily “what should I eat?” decision that used to ruin my motivation by Wednesday.

All of this means I get to use my brain and energy for the things that matter: coding, creativity, community, and rest.

Reduce decisions. Reduce friction. Reduce chaos.

3. Version Control - Document Your Becoming

Version control helps engineers track every change.

Imagine applying that to your growth.

I’ve been “versioning” myself for years now, through journal entries, weekly reviews, and monthly check-ins. No perfection. Just (brutal) honesty.

And because of that, I can see how my career transition unfolded. Not just the highlight reel, but the quiet, messy iterations: the self-doubt, the small wins, the breakthroughs that looked microscopic at the time.

Documenting your evolution gives you something powerful:

Proof that you’re becoming someone new.

And that alone can make you show up differently.

4. Fail Fast - Pivot With Purpose

Failing fast isn’t about giving up.

It’s about experimenting. Testing. Learning quickly.

When I first pivoted from pharmacy to software engineering, it wasn’t a perfectly mapped-out transition. I tried different learning methods, different tools, different routines. Some things worked beautifully… others failed immediately. But I learned fast because I allowed myself to.

Every “failure” is just data.

Data that helps you adjust your path without shame.

Let 2026 be the year you stop fearing pivots, and start using them.

5. Scalability - Build a Life That Grows With You

A system that can’t scale… breaks.

A life built around perfection, pressure, or performance?

Also breaks.

When I switched careers, my entire identity shifted. My routines, my goals, my community, everything had to expand with me. And that’s the beauty of scalability: you’re not building for who you are today, but for who you’re becoming.

Ask yourself:

• Will this routine still work when life gets full?

• Does this goal support my long-term growth?

• Am I building something flexible enough to evolve with me?

Your life should be spacious enough for your next chapter, not just your current one.

Food for thought as we close...

Tech principles aren’t just for engineers. They’re for anyone who wants to live with clarity, intention, and momentum. 2026 doesn’t need to be your “hardest-working” year. It just needs to be your most aligned one.

Build slowly.

Build intentionally.

Build a life that doesn’t collapse under pressure, but expands with purpose.

Until next time,

Ruth