It's barely new year's day anymore, and I'm still seeing 2017 retrospects popping up. While I do not feel like analyzing the entire year, it's clear that this was a more defining one that the years before.
Some highlights are quitting my work, failing a job, getting another great job, becoming mentally stronger, doing some coaching and helping out other people, and (unfortunately) losing another feline companion.
All in all, the year was balanced with highs and lows, continuing the trend of getting better with the year (especially welcome after a "meh" 2016).
More importantly though, is what 2018 will bring. It's easy to make some new year's resolutions and fail them "'cause that's how NY resolutions work," so let's not do that.
Instead, I challenge you to think, as someone recently asked me, to think about what you want to do in life. What can you contribute to friends, family, work, your environment? What drives you and how can you employ it for yours and others' benefit?
Leaving you with my own goals as inspiration. To a better 2018 than 2017.
Professional 2018: Become a better programmer, and confer with others to get better results. Then use this knowledge to better coach and teach people, so we can collectively increase the quality of our work. Teach more women the skills to break into technology.
Personal 2018: Help others become better (be it skill-wise, mental health-wise, or "whatever else there is"-wise), like others have done for me. Recognize that going solo isn't always the best solution. And finally, stop complaining about losing weight and get back to running (still not a resolution though, folks).