A New Year

2021 has begun, although to be honest it hardly feels any different. While the number at the end of the calendar going up by one doesn’t mean much itself, I think sending off the previous 365 days and welcoming the next is a healthy and necessary way to mentally refresh.

What 2020 Meant to Me

I think it’s pretty easy to say that 2020 was not a great year in a lot of regards. While there were many terrible events that occurred throughout it, I would say that I emerged at the end of 2020 in a better state than I entered it.

On a personal level: I moved apartments, got better at cooking, and started working on more personal projects. On a professional level: I became more competent at my job, saw multiple major features through from inception to completion, and received the promotion I had been aiming for.

Above all of these tangible accomplishments, I feel that I was able to improve my mental health and learn to be happier with what I have rather than obsessing over what could be better (this is a topic I touch upon in The 2020 Treadmill).

My Goals for 2021

My goals for 2021 remain largely the same as they were in 2020. I would like to continue educating myself as a software engineer and stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and development trends. I would also like to invest more time on personal projects. My main hurdle has always been deciding what exactly to work on, but something I learned last year is that the what matters far less than actually putting your fingers to your keyboard and creating something. Balancing preparadness and execution is something I will continue to focus on and improve at this year.

I’d also like to make the opportunity to travel more often, assuming that COVID is under more control by the latter half of this year. I have always said that I love to travel, but in actuality I have rarely invested the time or effort to make it happen as much as I would like. Even a short day trip every now and then is something I’d like to aim for. When I’m feeling the weight of life getting heavy, just getting out and experiencing a change of scenery can work wonders.

Regardless of what comes this year, I intend on keeping my head up and continuing to find ways to appreciate what I have. To my family, friends, colleagues, and anyone else who may read this - Happy New Year.