One thing I learned, when I changed my server setup from installing everything directly on the server to using Docker, is that I need to get out of my comfort zone more often. Getting out of your comfort zone means, you are confronted to new things and so learn something new.

Before I discovered the beauties of Docker, I was always scared about moving servers, setting up new sites or even updating software, because it always broke so easily.

But the pain was too high at some point and I realized, that I need to simplify it somehow. I searched and found Docker. Docker was also a pain at the beginning, I needed to first learn all the basics. But then I finally understood it and was amazed by it’s advantages.

But that didn’t hold me back to also run into problems with that basically setup again, so it somehow broke again. The server had unexpected random errors. So I needed to leave my comfort zone another time and try the “docker-compose” thing, I heard so often about. That finally fixed the issues and since then, all my sites and other services I use (like my own Git-server) run on a 3€/month-VPS with no problems.

I needed to leave my comfort zone, the area where I already know a lot, to simplify my life even more and discover and learn about new awesome techniques, I always was scared about before. It was definitely worth it going through all the pain to learn, how to do it the right way.