2022 Reflections and 2023 Resolutions

On January 1st, 2022, I wrote an article discussing my 10 resolutions for the year. When looking back on this list, I can say that I achieved 4 of them. Specifically, I can agree that I have been more active this year (resolution #1) — I’ve started climbing, hiking, and swimming ever since moving across the country. I have also done a lot of work to process my attachment issues and core beliefs (resolution #2), which has made me more secure in myself and my relationships with others. I haven’t been journaling consistently (resolution #3) as I haven’t felt the need to reflect daily, but I have been taking time to process impulsive feelings to ensure that my instincts are fact-checked by reality. During these times, I try to notice and call out the good things that have happened and not tunnel into the bad things.

The next 3 resolutions are related to work, and since the beginning of 2022, I have found myself working in tech consulting, not needing to program as a software engineer would. I still do not feel comfortable with LeetCode, but I did make the attempt and apply to many companies during January. With my job starting in late June, I did pay off my student loans this year.

Lastly, I’m still working on using this platform as an extension of my interests in science communication; however, I have also realized that I can also scratch that itch through my work as a tech consultant. I’m also still interested in improving my language skills whenever I get the free time to focus on that goal — I’ve spent a lot of time externally since moving to the Bay, and want next year to be spent on myself. And in terms of doing something creative with code, despite not coding as a job, I do want to spend some time looking into becoming a technical PM and buying some of the recommended books as mentioned in this LinkedIn post. I may also be looking to revamp my website to make it more flexible in terms of additional content — allowing me to review and dig into some front-end web development.

2023 Resolutions

Now onto my 2023 resolutions. Some of these will be follow-ups to those in 2022, and others will be net new to account for my personal goals and lifestyle changes. So in no particular order, here are my 10 resolutions for 2023.

1. Plan a trip to a National Park — Since moving to the Bay Area for work, I am now in very close proximity to many National Parks including Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and more. This trip may include hiking and camping.
2. Be active 4–5 days a week — I now have a membership to both the YMCA and a climbing gym, and I aim to make the most of both gyms. One of my goals is to design a monthly schedule in which I can consistently swim 2x per week and climb 2x per week with some hikes and normal gym workouts mixed in as well.
3. Hit at least one location on my Bay Area Speed Run list every month — Since moving to the Bay and meeting so many new people, I have curated a personal bucket/speed run list of landmarks, hikes, and food places to hit within the Bay and on the West coast at large. I aim to make progress through this list next year to break my weekly routine now and then.
4. Do daily Duolingo exercises — For those that don’t know, I currently maintain 4 languages on the Duolingo app: French, Mandarin, Danish, and Korean. Duolingo has since revamped its course structure to create a linear path, and I’m looking to do at least an exercise a day to further make progress in all 4 of these languages in the upcoming year. I may add more languages if I feel comfortable.
5. Focus on expanding my network — Be it through work relationships or friendships, I want to spend 2023 expanding my network to learn about others’ life goals, visions, and career paths. This will enable me to widen the scope of what is possible in my own life and consider new possibilities.
6. Publish a new blog at least once a month — Going into the new year, I expect my daily schedule to be more consistent, and with that, I’ll be able to spend time focusing on my blog. What this ultimately means is dedicating enough flexibility to my schedule such that when the inspiration hits, I can begin a draft and continuously revise it until it’s ready.
7. Purchase some TPM-focused books — Following the curve my career path took, I want to invest some time into skilling up in technical and functional areas that will allow me to venture into a career that allows me to interact with both tech topics and people. Software design has been a topic that I’ve been wanting to dig deeper into given sufficient time.
8. Say “yes” to more experiences — specifically in situations that would expand my comfort zone and make me slightly uncomfortable. The flip side of this is also saying “no” when needed and being okay with drawing stronger boundaries and expressing what I need to others.
9. Set up my finances for long-term and short-term needs — There are some long-term goals I have in mind like buying housing and more short-term goals like funding for travel plans and new experiences. I want to spend some time balancing my expenses such that I can maximize my savings and have enough for an emergency fund if needed.
10. Genuinely be comfortable with myself — What this means is that one of my goals in 2023 is to follow up with the mental work I’ve done in 2022 and continue to increase my confidence and certainty in many of the important questions when it comes to planning for the future. I also want to surround myself with people that align with my values and support me in my goals, further allowing me to stay motivated and true to who I am.