It’s the New Year’s Eve morning here in Tokyo, Japan. I’m typing this while cradling the baby at a Starbucks. Staring at the morning rain, I thought it’s a good time to reflect on 2023 while welcoming 2024.
Gratitude
Flexibility in a remote-first company. Laundry, accompanying the wife for her doctor appointments, etc. Thankful for the team’s understanding.
3-month parental leave. It takes a village to raise a child. I think it would be too difficult for just one parent to navigate the first 3 months alone.
Promotion. The new role encourages me to continue/start mentoring, glue work, technical leadership.
Failings
Acted on things when I was not the best candidate to. I need to be be more aware of saying “no” to others and myself. Sometimes, you can become less helpful with your answers.
Did not listen to the body. Our bodies will likely signal to us when we are overworked and stressed. Thankfully, it is better now, as I juggle priorities (family) but I wish I was better at this from the start.
Hey 2024
Greater technical depth in the devops space. Metrics, k8s, networking.
Champion others; would love to help others step up / promote.
if you stumble into this post, I hope you and your family enjoy a good 2024 ahead!
Best wishes!
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