I want to be able to enjoy code and feel like what I'm doing is helping make an impact in peoples' lives more than just checking the box on a spec doc and helping an organization make more money. Is there a good way to find meaning and fulfillment as a developer without getting lost in monotonous requirements?

As quite some people said, your paid work will provide you work. It will not provide you happiness nor intellectual excitement.

For intellectual excitement or/and happiness, you and only you can provide this to yourself.

As other people said, it may be time to hop to something else.

My point of view would be to say, hold to your job until you have something more tangible and jump when you feel this is the time you feel ready to jump.

Before that jump, the hard work is to figure out what can you do to re- enjoy coding.

If I were you, I would start an initiative out of the blue, during the time you are not at work. A fablab initiative like this one for example can be an idea or a coding initiative like this one (I'm not involved on the latter but I saw them grow, from a bunch of guys who were dissatified at their work and wanted to try their hands on something new).

Whatever you want to do, start and see by yourself where it will take you. Venturing out of your comfort zone but staying close to your first "field of interest" , will often (from my personal sample of experiences of people I know and me) show you how to revive your interest in the long run.

I want to be able to enjoy code and feel like what I'm doing is helping make an impact in peoples' lives more than just checking the box on a spec doc and helping an organization make more money. Is there a good way to find meaning and fulfillment as a developer without getting lost in monotonous requirements?

As quite some people said, your paid work will provide you work. It will not provide you happiness nor intellectual excitement.

For intellectual excitement or/and happiness, only you can provide this to you.

As other people have noticed/said, maybe it is time to hop into something else.

My point of view would be: Hold on until you have something more tangible and jump wagon when you feel this is the time eg. you feel ready to jump into another band wagon.

Before that jump, the hard work is to figure out what can you do to re- enjoy coding.

If I were you, I would start an initiative out of the blue, during the time you are not at work. A fablab initiative like this one for example can be an idea or a coding initiative like this one (I'm not involved on the latter but I saw them grow, from a bunch of guys who were dissatified at their work and wanted to try their hands on something new).

Whatever you want to do, start and see by yourself where it will take you. Venturing out of your comfort zone but staying close to your first "field of interest" , will often (from people I know plus me) help you revive your first love, in the long run.

_{I want to be able to enjoy code and feel like what I'm doing is helping make an impact in peoples' lives more than just checking the box on a spec doc and helping an organization make more money. Is there a good way to find meaning and fulfillment as a developer without getting lost in monotonous requirements?}

As quite some people said, your paid work will provide you work. It will not provide you happiness nor intellectual excitement.

For intellectual excitement or/and happiness, you and only you can provide this to yourself.

As other people said, it may be time to hop to something else.

My point of view would be to say, hold to your job until you have something more tangible and jump when you feel this is the time you feel ready to jump.

Before that jump, the hard work is to figure out what can you do to re- enjoy coding.

If I were you, I would start an initiative out of the blue, during the time you are not at work. A fablab initiative like this one for example can be an idea or a coding initiative like this one (I'm not involved on the latter but I saw them grow, from a bunch of guys who were dissatified at their work and wanted to try their hands on something new).

Whatever you want to do, start and see by yourself where it will take you. Venturing out of your comfort zone but staying close to your first "field of interest" , will often (from my personal sample of experiences of people I know and me) show you how to revive your interest in the long run.

I want to be able to enjoy code and feel like what I'm doing is helping make an impact in peoples' lives more than just checking the box on a spec doc and helping an organization make more money. Is there a good way to find meaning and fulfillment as a developer without getting lost in monotonous requirements?

As quite some people said, your paid work will provide you work. It will not provide you happiness nor intellectual excitement.

For intellectual excitement or/and happiness, you and only you can provide this to yourself.

As other people said, it may be time to hop to something else.

My point of view would be to say, hold to your job until you have something more tangible and jump when you feel this is the time you feel ready to jump.

Before that jump, the hard work is to figure out what can you do to re- enjoy coding.

If I were you, I would start an initiative out of the blue, during the time you are not at work. A fablab initiative like this one for example can be an idea or a coding initiative like this one (I'm not involved on the latter but I saw them grow, from a bunch of guys who were dissatified at their work and wanted to try their hands on something new).

Whatever you want to do, start and see by yourself where it will take you. Venturing out of your comfort zone but staying close to your first "field of interest" , will often (from my personal sample of experiences of people I know and me) show you how to revive your interest in the long run.