As we get to the end of the year, it’s natural to begin reflecting on the year and how things went.
2023 has definitely been an adjustment year. What’s the saying: “You plan and God laughs”? Back in April, I lost my job due to the company not being able to secure our next funding round. This threw me for a bit of a loop, but after taking some time to reflect and experiment, I made a plan, got some momentum back, and started stacking the bricks.
It’s been a bit of a journey so far, but I’m pleased with how it’s gone so far. More than anything, I’m extremely grateful to have done a ton of the work early on with Sean Johnson’s Building an Intentional Life to help me ensure that I’m working toward something that’s actually what my family and I want.
While there are still some irons in the fire, 2024 will hopefully see some of those land and come to fruition. I’m excited for what’s to come.
What I’ve shipped since last month:
This past month saw dozens of updates to my wife’s company’s custom tool I’m helping build for them. Largely improvements to team management and project reporting. Hoping to finish the final piece of the reporting piece in the next week or so. Really pleased with how this is shaping up, though wish it was a bit faster.
What went poorly:
Writing: Aside from this monthly newsletter, I haven’t been prioritizing writing as much as I should. I have been thinking about a couple of posts that I’d really like to tackle, so maybe this month, while we are traveling a bit, I’ll be able to carve out some time to really flesh these out. 🤞
Health: The past month wasn’t horrible, but a minor cold did make the rounds and took us out one by one. But we are all on the road to recovery and things are looking encouraging (knock on wood). I’m excited for some holiday rest to help us catch up a bit.
CTO Work: I’ve been super busy over the last month. As our big launch nears, there’s more and more for us to do and it’s been a lot. Trying to keep all the plates in the air while also juggling other responsibilities. Hasn’t been horrible, but hasn’t been easy or smooth, so definitely room for improvement. Just need to get us over the finish line.
What went well:
Family: This is why we do this. I’ve been so blessed to be in a position to be able to spend so much quality time with my family this year. I love it and hope to continue prioritizing this in the new year.
Focus: Staying on task and even though it’s been a lot, doing a pretty solid job of not starting new projects or getting distracted with shiny things. Not overcomplicating things (further). So chalking this up as a win this month.
Projects: Slowly making progress on the existing projects I have. As I mentioned last time, they are starting to gel together a bit and solidifying how they will fit into my schedule going forward.
Asks:
I hope you have a wonderful and peaceful holiday with your families. Don’t forget to tell your friends and loved ones you miss them and are thinking of them. It’s still pretty brutal out there for so many. You never know who needs to hear from you.