It is 4AM and I'm sipping cup of hot tea and blogging. In about 4 hours, I have to get up and go to work. In fact, for most people, this is the official end of the holidays as this is the first day of work in the new year. So in a way, this is the perfect time to do some reflection, knowing that 2011 is really officially over and done with.
I'm not sure if I could say this about all years but 2011 was a special year for me. As with life, it was full of ups and downs. As always, the ups were pretty amazing but the downs were pretty ego-defeating.
The more I think about them, the more I realize that with every good thing that occurred, there was also a bad thing.
Social life
Good
Got a second-chance to regain a social life and make new friends. I met some fabulous people who I got to spend time with and kill the lonely nights.
Bad
As with most social things, it has to come to an end. People come and go. You meet some amazing people only to find out they are moving on.
Meaning
I think the most important thing I got out of this is the realization that I'm not alone in my situation. There are plenty of people out there who don't have it totally together as well and are just doing the best they can and living life the best way they know how.
The other thing is and I know this is cliche but it's become more apparent to me the importance of being yourself and staying true to yourself. This may at times cause you to become unpopular in the crowd or to miss out on certain things. I know there have been times where I didn't really stay true to myself in order to "fit in" only to regret it later.
Future Assessment
1. Work more on being myself and staying true to my values even in social settings while at the same time presenting the best parts of myself.
2. Realize people come and go in life and that it's just a part of life whether it's friends, girlfriends or even family.
Workout Routine
I started a running regimen to run outside at least 2-3 times a week.
Good:
Feel great and performing better at work and life in general. Beats the depression on some days as well.
Bad:
Body seems to get used to the regimen and as a result have not been feeling so well during the holidays where a lot of eating and sleeping go on. Also have to adjust to going to gym which is less convenient during the winter months.
Meaning:
This is something I intend to keep up as consistently as possible. It's not only beneficial to me physically but I think the most important part is emotionally as well. It makes me feel good both about myself and about my life. It makes me realize life is long and there will be further opportunities.
Future Plans:
I fully intend to keep doing this in 2012. I'm going to stay as active as possible during winter and once it's ok to run outside again, it's back to the regimen.
Career
2011 was another great year for me career-wise. For the 3rd straight year in a row, my annual performance reviews have been great. Now when I say great, I must remind myself to take it with a grain of salt. In the corporate world, performance reviews is one of those things that matter yet don't matter either. They are not really an indicator of your true worth to the company but it also doesn't hurt to have a great track record.
Good
I took a significant role in completing a milestone project. Gained a lot of experience and in many ways, this was my real significant project in my career.
Bad
There are a lot of areas that I want to grow in and not sure if I can continue to advance in these areas. I have a lot of ideas but working in a company is often like playing musical chairs. There are just times when you don't have a seat.
What it means to me
Overall, it's been a successful year. I'm happy with my career. I realize it's not easy these days for a lot of people due to this economic climate as well as simple bad luck so I am very fortunate. That being said, I need to remind myself of this when I'm frustrated or unhappy at work and keep acting humble and professional. I realize that I need this company more than it needs me. It's given me a lot overall. It doesn't owe me anything.
Future
We'll see how 2012 goes but I've always felt that this is going to be a make or break year. What happens in this year will determine my future at this company as in whether I'm staying for the long-term or I find an opportunity elsewhere.
Things to improve on in 2012
2010 seems like a distant memory but when I compare the 2010 and 2011, a lot of the the things that didn't go so well in 2010 dramatically improved in 2012. I really hope the same thing happens in 2012 and that the old saying "history tends to repeat itself" is true.
Here are some things that I want to improve on in 2012:
Dating/Relationships
This didn't go so well in 2011 but on a positive note, I see 2011 as a "recovery year" for myself in this category after the events in 2010. I think this has a lot to do with being true to myself and gaining confidence in who I am while at the same time presenting my strengths in a positive light. We'll see how this goes. I have a feeling something will happen or the seeds have been sown somehow.
Travel Plans
The contiki tour didn't go as well as I hoped. It revealed a lot of my flaws in social settings. I've learned a valuable lesson when it comes to socializing and that is, never go into one expecting good things to happen. It's really one of those things that are "up in the air." You could walk away from a social gathering and made a great a friend or met a wonderful girl or you could end up being rejected and tramped on.
I intend to go on a China contiki trip this year sometime but this time, I will hold no expectations. I'm just going to be myself, polite to others, and try to have fun.
Home Pet Projects
As a developer working in the fast-changing technology field, it is imperative that I keep myself up to date. The best way to do so is to work on projects and thereby forcing myself in situations where I have to learn new things.
I've got a new computer setup at home and intend to do this during my free time. As for free time, I realize I have more of it than I sometimes imagine. I just need to be more efficient with it. I'll apply my running routine to it. Sometimes it's just a matter of doing it and ignore everything else whether it's fatigue, laziness, fear of failure, or distractions.
Saving Money
I spent a lot of money in 2011 whether it was related to moving into my new condo, social outings, travel, or just wanting some new gadgets to play with.
It's time to hunker down. I think I've got a lot of the things I want already and my expenditures should drop in 2012.
Also, I intend to be on a lower profile socially and just go to the social outings I actually want to, not because my friends are going or because everyone else is going. This goes back to the staying true to myself bit.
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