Reflecting on 2023 - A Year in Review

The 2023 Year in Review

Published blog posts - 58
Wrote monthly reflections - 9
Read books - 26

As the year is coming to an end, I hope each of you has had a rewarding year! Reflecting on the past months, I’ve come to realize that my most valuable decision in 2023 was incorporating Notion into my life to organize various aspects such as blog posts, ideas, articles, to-do lists, learning and read materials, task schedules, and social media, and blog post plans. This tool has significantly streamlined my daily route, with Notion to remembering details and relieving my mind from the need to recall everything. It is an eye-opening - I can’t believe I didn’t adopt this earlier. Previously, I used to store ideas in my mind, only to forget them later. However, as the saying goes, the journey from location A to location B is never a linear path, but rather a curve. Nevertheless, I’ve embraced this concept! 😃 😎

Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them - David Allen, author of Getting Things Done

Additionally, I actively fine-tuned my Notion planner by promptly incorporating new ideas. Experimenting with different approaches, I sought ways to enhance the planner’s functionality, making it more efficient and user-friendly.

📚 A couple of lessons or tips from books that stand out in my reflections on 2023:

Keep things small. When something seems too big, break it down into the smallest manageable pieces.
Utilize time blocks to focus on tasks requiring a more extended duration.
Apply the two-minute rule to swiftly complete tasks.
Start a pilot week for any new or adjusted schedule to gauge your commitment.
Leverage digital tools like Notion for effective knowledge and schedule management.
Embrace uncertainty, as the future is unpredictable.
Prioritize what matters most to you, remembering that every decision entails pros and cons.
Embrace discomfort; growth often accompanies stepping outside your comfort zone.
Adopt a 12-week time frame for goal achievement instead of a traditional yearly approach.

While books can provide a wealth of advice on self-improvement in various aspects, not all of this guidance may be universally effective for everyone. It’s crucial to discern which advice resonates most with you and aligns with your personal experiences. If you find that certain advice truly resonates with you and can be applied to your own experiences, don’t hesitate to embrace it. Life unfolds with numerous choices, but the ones you actively choose will ultimately shape your future. As the book “Software Engineering at Google” highlights, every choice, even in the realm of software engineering, involves making trade-offs. Expanding this concept to the broader picture of life, each decision you make will yield different outcomes. It is up to you to evaluate which choice is the best for you based on the potential outcomes and your experiences. Flexibility remains key, allowing you to tailor your journey to derive maximum benefit for yourself.

Life presents many choices, the choices we make determine our future. – Catherine Pulsifer

The upcoming year

Reflecting on the accomplishments and lessons of 2023, I’m excited about the opportunities and growth that lie ahead. As I delve into the upcoming year, I recognize the need for continued self-improvement and focus.

While utilizing the Pomodoro Technique (Tomato Time), I’ve identified a challenge in maintaining undivided attention on my current tasks due to occasional distractions. This is an area I am committed to working on in the coming year, refining my ability to stay focused and minimize interruptions.

Additionally, I’ve outlined a couple of key learning goals for the upcoming year:

AWS (Amazon Web Services): To expand my proficiency in cloud computing.
SQL: To deepen my understanding of database management.
Bash: To enhance my command-line scripting skills.
Docker: To acquire skills in containerization and further advance my software development capabilities.
Additional skills: To be determined based on the evolving plan.

By acknowledging these areas for improvement and setting specific learning goals, I am poised to make the most of the opportunities that the upcoming year holds.

I look forward to the opportunities and growth that the upcoming year holds. Wishing you all a wonderful 2024 filled with achievements and joy. Hope you have a fantastic year ahead!

Blogs

I didn’t publish the monthly reflections for October and November, so I’m including them here. The hiatus in these reflections was due to my vacation. As a result, all the blog posts created during this period, from the last update until November, are listed below.

Thank you!

Thank you for your time and for reading this!