One of the things that has helped me become a better software developer over the past few years is to never become complacent with the way I do things. Always be on the lookout for a better way - read blogs, read forums, talk to your peers, sign up for technical newsletters and most of all - don't be afraid to try something new.

I find a good way to gauge my progress is to look back at the way I did things 6 months ago, and if I can pick out things in my code / design / communication / estimation skills / processes / (the list goes on) that I could do better now, it means I'm making progress. If I ever get to a stage when I can't see even the slightest improvement, it either means I've become perfect (not bloody likely), or I've become complacent (sounds more realistic). Whether its a newer technology I've learnt, a concept I have grasped or just a simpler way of achieving the same (or greater) results - it's always a good feeling to know you've made progress.

I follow a simple rule - 'always have something new to learn'. There will always be something out there that you haven't tried, haven't understood correctly or simply have not heard of. Pick something out and have a crack at it. I keep a list of things that I intend to learn. I get these things by reading blogs/forums/news feeds, listening to my peers, and experimenting with new ideas.  I usually focus on learning ideas around TDD, BDD, Agile methodologies, Patterns and Practices and following the ALT.NET community in the thoughts they are putting out there. Whatever the topic, pick something that you are interested in and you will enjoy it.

If you're lucky, through your experimenting and learning you will find a better way to do something. If you're unlucky, you may find that what you learnt was not the best way of achieving a particular result. Both of these outcomes are good, and in both cases - learn from the experience and keep searching for something better.

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