I must make that commit; I must fix that error tonight; I must finish this project; I must keep my GitHub chart green
Take a break
I did.
Nearing the end of 2024, I postponed working on my latest project (Next Meal).
Next Meal had gotten to a place where I could be proud of what I had learned and accomplished. After more than 6 months on the job search, several months unemployed working on Next Meal and other projects - I had to go back to work.
Breaks are good for you
During my break, I took the opportunity to reflect on my initial motivation for becoming a web developer as well as the significant progress I've made along the way.
When I caught a mental glimpse at how much I had learned from the beginning of my journey to where I am now, I was blown away. I am so happy with where my work is at as a web developer now that I am ready to commit more publicly. I am looking to work with opensource projects or groups of individuals with a common interest.
Before my break, I was starting to get very tired of working towards seemingly nothing. I was tired of not hearing any positive news with my job search, and I was losing hope.
Flash forward to a couple of months later, and my head is back in the game. I have been working a different job while taking a break from web development, so my mind is still sharp and ready.
I took from the break, most importantly, that I need time to reflect on my achievements and successes, especially when I am experiencing failure. My work is important, but it is important that I am well enough to continue caring for my work. It is important, for me, that I recognize my progress and even celebrate it - for it is a step in the journey towards the end goal.
Going back to work
I started working as a delivery driver for Amazon once again, and took a break from my studies at the end of October. Here and there, I would sit at my computer and change a couple of things on my portfolio to keep it up to date, but other than that I was taking a strategic mental pause.
Here we are in 2024, a new year with amazing possibilities ahead of each of us. I am back to claim what I have been working so hard for in these previous years.
My goals for 2024
Meet new people
Find a new mentor (maybe?)
Explore new and updated technologies
Be the best father I can be to my new son
Find a job that pushes me to learn new things
My plans for 2024
Continue improving my work on Next Meal
Continue keeping my portfolio up to date
Be more active on LinkedIn
Interact with groups of individuals on open sourced projects
Continue my job search for a position as a web developer
I hope that everyone had wonderful holidays in 2023, and an amazing new year so far - I know I have. I am so excited for what this year has to bring, yet.
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