2023 has been quite a journey, filled with ups and downs. I'm putting together this blog to help me look back on what I've been through, what I've learned, and my hopes for the next year.
It's like a friendly chat with myself, a little snapshot of lessons and dreams for the next 23 years.
Lets Roll.
1. Take the initiative, don’t hesitate
If I've learned anything impactful this year, it's the importance of taking initiative in almost every situation. I can provide a few examples:
When I entered my final year and had to write a thesis, many college students faced challenges, especially when dealing with professors, whether it was finding a suitable time for discussions or getting their thesis drafts corrected. One thing that made it much easier for me was taking the initiative. I personally reached out to the professor, kept him informed about my progress, suggested meeting at his coffee shop for discussions, and took the lead in creating a group chat specifically for our professor. This initiative made it simpler for my friends to access information related to our professor's schedule. The key point is that it made me stand out more in front of my professor.
I got multiple opportunities by reaching out first. I asked a senior engineer I know if there was a position that would be a good fit for me and requested a referral. I even reached out to the CEO of the company. Nowadays, you have various tools to make reaching out easier, such as LinkedIn, Twitter (X), email, etc. Of course, you also need to build trust and improve your online presence by creating projects or enhancing your profiles.
I used to be afraid to reach out to someone, always fearing that the person I contacted would somehow be annoyed. But honestly, after all of this, it doesn't really matter as long as you maintain good etiquette and attitude. The worst thing you can receive is a rejection, so go get it!.
2. Always follow-up
I lost many opportunities because I hesitated to follow up. Whether applying for a job or acquiring a client, The mindset we should be focused on is What exactly I can provide to them, addressing the challenges they're facing, without expecting an immediate reward.
The person you're dealing with should discover that you excel in areas where they may struggle. How? By consistently following up. Send emails or messages with attachments of your work, do it at least once a day. Let them see your persistence and genuine interest in seizing opportunities. Along the way, you may encounter cold emails and rejections, but over time, you'll get used to it and develop a mindset of saying, "Okay, good, let's move on to the next.”
3. Handling rejections
It's almost similar to the two points I mentioned above, but this one has a slightly different perspective. Rejections suck—everyone hates them.
Throughout my life, I've faced numerous rejections, to the extent that I started questioning my self-worth. Each rejection felt like a direct hit to my self-esteem, making me believe I was never good enough for anything. It was incredibly challenging to pick myself up and move forward.
Now, instead of viewing rejections as attacks on my self-esteem, I prefer to see them as life lessons that help build my resilience. Often, the reasons behind rejection stem from external factors beyond our control, rather than our personal weaknesses.
Most importantly, it teaches me to remain humble and be grateful for what I already have and have learned. It motivates me to deal with and overcome the difficulties that life brings.
I plan to create an article about this specific topic, maybe next month—stay tuned! haha.
4. Say goodbye to Your Routine
No lie, I'm obsessed with self-development. So much so that I've built a routine, like waking up in the morning, grabbing a coffee, working out, and so on. Let me give you a clearer example. I need that cup of coffee to kickstart my day, and if I skip it, I won't be productive, and my day feels suck. This goes for other things too, not sticking to these routines affects my ability to fully tap into my potential for the day.
After enduring many bad days and battling procrastination, I realized that relying too heavily on routines can actually make us weaker. Insisting on having a coffee to get the job done is like making a statement about how the world should be when you have no control over it.
Think about it. Initially, you need that morning coffee to feel better and get things done, but over time, you end up needing it just to feel normal. Eventually, the benefits that coffee once provided are gone.
Believe it or not, there were humans, maybe a hundred years ago, who had none of these things and still got things done. It weakens me and makes me less resilient.
The solution is to have no routine at all and just do things that need to get done, regardless of how you feel. I know, It's easier said than done, but I believe it makes me more resilient.
5. You’ll never be ready
This idea applies to anything in life. While it's good to have some basic knowledge before starting, it doesn't have to be perfect. Waiting is always tempting and often leads to procrastination. Whether it's starting something new or sharing your work, the urge to wait until you have more skills or feel completely ready is common. But when will that be?
It's tricky, The real truth is, you'll never feel completely ready.
After reading and watching a bunch of stuff, the best time to start is when you're unsure, especially when the path ahead isn't clear.
6. Less social media, more peace of minds
I've cut down on social media almost every day. I only open it for important events that my close friends or my girlfriend are involved in, where I post or send messages to make myself and them feel acknowledged. It might sound strange, but I think it's almost impossible not to have social media in this modern age since everything is happening online. However, I believe it's crucial to set limits so that we don't become overly dependent or obsessed with it.
Having face-to-face conversations with people has always been my preference over chatting on social media. Sometimes, I mindlessly scroll too, especially on tough days. However, I've realized what happens and decided to log out or hide the apps on days when I need zero distractions.
7. A few good friend is enough
Well, I think I've lost touch with many friends along the way, not because of any disagreement, but I've realized everyone has their own stuff and needs to go in different directions. Sometimes, I discover I don't click with certain people, maybe because of their attitude, behavior, the environment, or it's just me. But I've learned to be okay with it, even though it was tough.
I have a group of friends and close pals who empower me to keep going. They inspire me, surpass me in certain aspects, and provide support. I believe that's sufficient.
8. Relationship, love
I've learned a bunch about relationships this year, especially the ones with loved ones. I now get why looks don't matter much when you have someone who supports you, no matter what situation you're in, and I'm really thankful for that. The important thing is talking openly. No matter what comes up, we need to trust each other, not set strict rules in the relationship, and support one another. I give advice when she needs it and agree with her perspective when it just feels right, even if it's actually wrong—haha.
Just like any other connection and relationship, people need to be valued and respected. That's the fundamental thing I've learned.
9. Health is your super-power
This year, I got sick too often, and it reached the worst stage – I had GERD from consistently delaying meals, and it felt terrible. I don't know why, but it always happened when there was an important event, be it a family reunion or just meeting friends at a coffee shop. I realized that if I want to stay on track, I need to maintain my health by leading a healthy life. I've witnessed quite a lot – relatives with lots of money, yet every month they're dealing with health issues and hospital check-ups.
Life is like a marathon, and at the end of the day, I simply want an okay life. I want my parents to retire, to assist friends and people dear to me, pay off bills, and handle other essential aspects of living. But if I'm not in good health, how am I supposed to achieve that? Even if it takes 10 years, at least with good health, I can keep pursuing my dreams.
10. Learn, Practice, Repeat
Never stop learning. In the past, the fast-paced trends in Software Engineering made me feel burnout, but now I've learned that, with technology growing rapidly, what you need are fundamental knowledge, patience, and a strong work ethic. I believe tools or frameworks are essentially the same, and you can leverage your understanding to learn other things. What I've learned is to pick one thing (like learning React for web development), but ensure you understand JavaScript and HTML/CSS as well. Try to build a project—it doesn't need to be fancy, just enough to make the knowledge stick in your brain.
If you're able to maintain a steady learning pace and be patient, when opportunities come, I believe we can at least handle the basics and work ourselves to the next step. I often feel the pressure to master something in one go, which is impossible (at least for me).
In today's world, instant gratification affects us in almost every aspect. That's why learning to learn, being patient, and staying resilient is rare, even for myself. So, I'm gonna keep on learning until it becomes a natural part of who I am.
Well, that's it! It encompasses everything I've learned. Of course, I could go on with a much longer list, but I believe that's all the things that have stuck in my brain.
8 Things I'm Going to Do
Now. lets write a list of things I’m going to do next year, The 2024. Lets get into it.
1. Hit the gym, regularly
It brings you good health and a bonus of looking good, so you won't have to worry about choosing clothes that suit you. I've noticed many influencers with great bodies who just rock simple outfits. I aspire to be like that—haha.
2. Learn more instead trying to earn more
You’re still young, a lot of stuff will happen in the future. What you need is experience and if you go for earning you will stop learning. Learn every skill along the way, not only stuff related to software engineering.
3. Practice English, writing and speaking
I need to improve because, right now, I still rely on ChatGPT to write this blog, lol. I also want to speak English fluently to open up more opportunities in the future. You can start by using DuoLingo, writing and reading English blogs, and watching English videos.
4. Create a YouTube Video on Your Expertise
You know, almost everything I've learned is from video formats, mainly YouTube. So, I thought maybe I could contribute to the community by sharing something I know.
5. Write a blog post, at least once a month
I just want a space where I can chat with myself and, in the process, improve my English writing skills. Hehe.
6. Becomes better son, better brother, better partner and friends.
Literally becoming a better human. I've made a lot of mistakes, probably upset people until today. That's why I need to be better for myself and learn to respect myself.
7. Invest in stock
Learn how to make your money works for you, just make sure to use specified Investment budget and learn the stock that you want to invest with.
8. Make a proper portfolio, blog site. (Using proper tech-stack and domain)
I want others to be able to subscribe and comment on my content so that I can receive feedback about my writing.
Closing
All in all, the purpose of this article really only for me to look back and laugh. And it took longer than I thought. Thanks for reaching this page. I hope you can get something out of it.
