Reflecting on 35

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A birthday is just another day, but it’s a good opportunity to stop, reflect on the past year, and plan for the next year.

Looking Back on 35

Excluding the covid doldrums we’re all familiar with, 35 was a good year for me, both professionally and personally.

Work 
  • I (helped) launch two major (different) versions of some factory automation software at work.
  • I wrote an article in Japanese that was published in a real-life magazine.
  • Interviewed and got a dream job that'll let me have a meaningful impact on climate change.

Personal
  • Built and released my first project in years (Tanzawa).
  • Paid off my car note (6 year loan, paid off in 1.4).
  • Fully embraced that I'm an early riser and began prioritizing health.
  • Running more months of this year than previous years (though there's still been some big gaps, I'm hopeful).
  • Hit over 1 year of weekly The Week posts.
  • Dodged 'rona and got us vaccinated very early for our age group (less than a week after eligibility), which gave us full vaccination during delta.
  • Took two small overnight stays in Japan (Saitama last November, Yokohama less than a week ago)


Looking Forward on 36

Looking forward to 36, I'm not quite sure what to expect.

Work-wise, since I'll be joining a new company in a few days I can't really list any specific goals. There's too many unknowns. But what I do hope is that I integrate to the team quickly, can share what I know, learn what I don't, and have a smooth work life while having an impact on climate change.

Personal
  • Go on a couple small family trips in Japan (covid allowing). I'd love to ride the Shinkansen with Leo.
  • Continue running and or cycling, but on a more regular basis, rain or shine. Ideally I want to do a couple of 5ks during the week and a longer run/ride on the weekend.
  • Reduce my non renewable energy usage (put solar panels on the house).
  • Build and release an electricity related side project.
  • Reduce my plastic usage / trash (this is difficult as it seems no matter what you buy in Japan, it's wrapped in at least one plastic bag). We throw out about 1 40L bag per week today, which seems like way too much. I'd love to get that down to 1 40L bag per every two weeks, or even per month.
  • Introduce Leo to his grandparents. Leo has only met my mom on my side of the family when she came to visit shortly after he was born. I'd like him to meet the rest of the family, so maybe a trip to the US once borders open up a bit more?

I have no idea how many of these I'll be able to accomplish this year, but maybe writing them down like I have here will give me a fighting chance to remember and make progress these goals this year. 
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