An algorithm is just a fancy word for a clear list of steps to solve a problem or finish a task — and you already use them! Brushing your teeth, tying your shoes, and finding a word in a dictionary are all algorithms. Good algorithms are clear, in the right order, and finish (they don't go on forever). Programmers first work out the steps in plain language — sometimes called pseudocode — before writing real code. Learn to break a big problem into small, ordered steps and you're already thinking like a programmer.