By programming we generally mean the craft of structuring instructions of code, written using a programming language, in order to create a working program.
I want to introduce something bigger to this concept however.
To me, programming is solving problems. And as such, programming starts way, way earlier than the time you reach for the keyboard and you start to type instructions on the computer.
Programming starts when you are thinking about the problem. Or the app.
Programming is when you are gathering the requirements, talking to all the people involved in the app, talking to the clients, analyzing all the different things that the app should do.
Programming is defining what the app should not do.
Programming is determining if your app is impossible or too costly to run, even before you start working on it.
Programming is drawing all the flow diagrams to help you solve a problem.
Programming is also when you are stuck and you need to solve a problem. How to search for answers on Google and how to ask a good question is a skill on its own.
In the end, 70% of programming is done outside of your code editor.