Tom.Y

2022 Year in Review

Overview

This year has been an amazing combination of adventure, and personal growth. I’ve travelled to more countries in 2022 than any other (Portugal, Spain, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland to name a few)!

Having spent the last 6 months working abroad in Spain, my takeaway is that I'm finding myself living a happier, and more fulfilled life.

In terms of side projects, I shipped multiple projects, including my first open-source project in a little while, and very nearly competed my game. I may not yet have found financial freedom, however I am continuously “turning up” and shipping my projects.

Favourites

🎵 Song

📖 Book

  • Surely you're Joking Mr Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character: Adventures of a Curious Character

🎥 Movie / show

  • The Rescue (documentary on nat geo, on the thailand cave rescue)

💁 Object

  • Boomerang

🍉 Meal / food

  • Tapas (tapenade bread, chickpea stew, chorizo vino tinto, croquetas)

📍Place

  • Madeira

🏔️ App

  • Alltrails

Highlights

  • Finally proposed to Suzie in Switzerland after 10 years!
  • Moved away from England to Spain to live for a year.
  • Released my first open-source project in a little while.
  • Went skiing for first time (once in Andorra, and then Switzerland).
  • Made massive progress building my game, have a solid foundation for any multiplayer game now.
  • Moved to part time @ work (3 days a week) to focus on side projects, and personal growth.

##Goal Setting

I like to frame my goals using a different strategy each year. Last year I created 12 questions I wanted to pursue, and framed my goals around that year (interestingly this method is based off Ric hard Fenman’s book which I wrote as being my favourite read this year - "surely you’re joking Mr Feynman").

This year, I am going back to the famous buffet story (after further research it is supposedly not actually created by buffet, but I like the idea regardless), whereby a pilot asks what he should focus on, and in turn Warren says write down 25 goals, so he does. He then asks to circle only 5 items, telling the pilot how the other 20 items become items on a new list of “must avoid”, as they are distractions to getting the most important things done.

Out of goal shortlist, I will follow an additional rule of `20% body, 20% mind, and 60% personal growth, as without the mind and body, the personal growth is not sustainable.

  • [Personal] Make my first dollar from a side project

    • Continue to chase the dream of running my own business.

  • [Personal] Add 20 new books to Zettel Kasten with linked permanent notes

    • I want to cement my knowledge of the books I read and be able to recall & easily reference them in the future.

  • [Personal] Release my game.

    • This has been a goal of mine for a long time, and I have made a lot of progress this year, but I want to get it out there, and start getting feedback.

  • [Body] Run a 10k.

    • After recently becoming more comfortable in the 5k range, I think running a 10k event is an achievable goal before year end, before I start to push myself for a marathon.

  • [Mind] Log 250 days of meditation in Beeminder

    • Such a simple, but high impact habit that I want to continue to improve on.

Whilst these points are not explicit goals, I also want to focus on the following "force multiplier" areas:

  • Improve on the technology stack I live in;

    • Further invest time to master Go, and TS, the tools of my trade
    • Level up in how I build projects, lean on latest and greatest tech

  • Master my habits, and feedback process

    • Writing project ideas down every day
    • Early morning starts, complete "miracle morning" routine (meditate, exercise, read, journal)
    • Weekly reviews to ensure I am having a critical look at my performance each week.

  • Understand how to market myself, and new products.

    • Deal with imposter syndrome, by finishing what I start.
    • Continue to build a personal brand.

  • Making sure my mind is healthy

    • Go outside in nature - Draw, surf, swim, meditate, play.
    • Digital detox / no surf - keep my mind healthy
    • Eat well - our stomach’s play a key part in our mood, motivation, and wellbeing.