People around me are making hard choices and I've sat too idly for my own liking. I look back at this year and I'm really thankful for everything that I have. This year was definitely more productive than the last, but with it, I burned out harder than ever. I've finally been able to take a step back and breathe and it is quite the refreshing feeling... This year's extra curricular activities: 3 months of systems administration - learned more than I did in 3 years of actual work 4 months of programming - got back to previous level of programming with a stronger foundation and more marketable skills 4 months of burnout time - minimal workouts, poor sleep habits, unhealthy eating, other hobbies suffered What I learned/improved on: Time management skills: Externalizing time costs to other parts of my life, increased planning phases, more insight to time costs. Creating a schedule ahead of time prevents deviation and minimizes motivation/willpower loss. Systems Admin: It finally clicked... Confidence in systems have since skyrocketed. Programming: Understanding of frameworks and programming methodologies have greatly increased my understanding of agile programming structures which have then focused my attention onto other areas of my life in which I can apply abstraction towards my life. Learning is painful: It takes me very long to grasp something because I have to absorb it all and make all the connections with the components before they all fall into place and "click." By focusing on simpler smaller goals, I can maintain motivation and minimize burnout. When I look at how long it took me to get my life back together after that work, it makes me angry at myself for letting poor choices and time management get to me. I didn't expect learning to burn me out so much, but I needed the pressure of the stress to get things done. All that work helped me in the end, at least that's what I'm telling myself. Through self-imposed struggles, I will become stronger, smarter, wiser, better. | 