Quit my job to get better at coding… 6 months later I feel stuck and lost

Hi everyone, I’m feeling really stuck and could use some honest advice. A bit about my background: I started my career as an automation engineer, but I didn’t feel fulfilled, so I decided to switch to

Hi everyone, I’m feeling really stuck and could use some honest advice. A bit about my background: I started my career as an automation engineer, but I didn’t feel fulfilled, so I decided to switch to software engineering. I went all in on learning front-end (JavaScript and React), and within about 4 months I managed to land an opportunity as a front-end developer. I’ve now been working as a front-end dev for around 4 years. The thing is, I never properly learned data structures and algorithms. I was introduced to them at university, but it was very surface-level, so I never built strong fundamentals. A few months ago, I made a difficult decision to quit my job so I could focus full-time on improving my skills and preparing for better opportunities. I started studying DSA seriously for the first time. So far, I’ve: - Studied data structures - Gone through most of the AlgoMonster courses But the problem is… I’ve never really been able to solve problems on my own from the AlgoMonster list. I usually understand the explanation, but I can’t come up with the solution independently. Now I’ve moved on to NeetCode 150, and I’m struggling with almost every single problem. It feels like no matter how much I study, I’m not improving the way I expected. I’m slow, I don’t recognize patterns, and I get stuck very quickly. It’s really affecting my confidence, and I’m starting to question everything—whether I made the right decision quitting, whether I’m approaching this the wrong way, or even whether I’m cut out for this. I think part of the issue is that I jumped into front-end very quickly back then without building deep fundamentals, and now I feel like I’m paying the price. Right now I feel lost: - Is it normal to not be able to solve problems on your own after months of studying? - Should I keep pushing through NeetCode 150 even if I struggle with every problem? - Am I using the wrong approach to learning DSA? - Did I make a mistake quitting my job? Also, I’m starting to wonder if I should consider a different path that’s less coding-heavy. For example, roles like product manager or project manager. Has anyone made a transition like that from a dev background? Is it realistic, and what would that path look like? If anyone has gone through something similar especially being self-taught, landing a job quickly, and then struggling later.I’d really appreciate your advice or experience. Thanks a lot