End of 2022 Recap & January Outlook
Camille Francis
[Offered]
Happy New Year! I know it’s nearly mid-January, but it’s better late than never. This is my first post of 2023 and I’ve been away for a while, so this will be a longer round up post, but I’m glad to be back and blogging.
Brief Overview
November was going as strong with my coding challenge, and despite my accountability squad disbanding, I maintained my momentum. Little did I know I would face challenges such as equipment failure, keeping up with Christmas deadlines for my jewellery business, as well as overall trying to prioritise enjoyment as the year was rolling to a close.
My biggest challenge of January will be getting back into the swing of things after my long hiatus.
34 Days of Code… Not Quite 100
If you are familiar with my October Recap, you might recall that I set the goal of coding everyday for a month (from late October). Well, from the sub-heading you can tell I didn’t quite manage what would be 70+ consecutive days to date, but I’m proud to say I at least completed a month consistently.
It was great to really get stuck into Python following a Udemy course, and constantly practicing. My favourite tasks so far on the 100 days of code were the Reeborg’s World tasks. They’re so fun and a great way to solidify understanding of flow and functions. There are different levels but it has quite a similar feel to Code Combat.
As the weeks progressed, watching my transformation and pre-emptive problem solving develop was a PRICELESS experience. Seeing my GitHub grow on a daily basis was so gratifying, as was sharing my projects and problem solving processes with my peers, both of which fed into my desire to improve.
Broken Laptop and Momentum, But It’s (Jewellery) Business as Usual…
An unexpected twist presented itself halfway through November as my laptop died on me, leaving me out of commission for a while. What made it worse was that I JUST returned my Generation laptop a few days prior, so as you could imagine, the timing was amazing. It was a little frustrating because I wanted to focus more on the Study Bud-e project in the second half of the month, but as my favourite phrase goes, “every disappointment has its blessing”.
With the extra time on my hands, I turned my attention to my jewellery and crafting business, as I had a few pendants to complete in time for the festive period. If it wasn’t for the forced upheaval of my schedule, I don’t think I would’ve dedicated the necessary time to get everything done.
On the brightside, it felt great to dive back into crafting while my time is still flexible, as I likely won’t have any time when I start my new job.
Work-life Balance, but more “life” than “work”.
From the beginning of November, I set the intention of having a better work-life balance. So with my laptop being down for the count, it made that goal a lot easier. A little too easy if I’m being honest. But I guess I was looking forward to a guilt-free break deep down.
Although I was crafting almost daily, most of the time it mentally felt like I was indulging in any typical leisurely activity. So really, I was doing more “life” than “work”, but I don’t regret it. It was nice to just enjoy life, and celebrate a year of hard work with some much needed down time.
Goals and Intentions For 2023
My overarching intentions for this year will be to explore challenges and embrace discomfort more, to seek enjoyment, and to focus on developing solid career foundations over this year.
Exploring challenges and embracing comfort
This year I will continue to dial in on the growth mindset I’ve adopted for many years. However, this year I want to apply it not only to my career endeavors, but to every facet of my life, as I think I could be better in some areas. This will ensure that I’m striving for self-improvement and staying grounded.
Starting a new job in a new career will be full of challenges, so I aim to approach all the experiences couragiously and with an open mind.
Seeking enjoyment
When pursuing goals, it’s important to find or seek enjoyment throughout the process to minimise burnout. This will also mean knowing when to take breaks and ensuring that I have a well rounded lifestyle. I plan to implement this by:
- Ensuring I’m doing something fun on weekdays, not just waiting for the weekend.
- Travelling domestically or internationally at least once a month
- Regularly exploring interesting tasks at work where possible.
develop solid career foundations
As I wait to step into my entry level cyber engineering role, I will be preparing to be as ready as I can be for when the start date rolls around. I aim to approach the opportunity like an inquisitive sponge. So while I’m there, I will do my best to use what I learn on the job so I can contribute wherever I can. Big or small.
There are a lot of things to learn, but having a plan in place to understand priority and time-to-consolidation will be key. I’m looking forward to getting hands-on work experience and really finding my path in cyber engineering.
The Outlook To January
I still don’t have a start date for work yet, but regardless of this, the key priority for me this month will be getting back into the swing of things. So that means refreshing myself on Linux, Python, and continuing my AWS studies. With that being said, I’ll also sprinkle in cyber security and IT basics into my schedule, even if it’s just for passive learning.
With AWS, I will continue through Adrian Cantrill’s Solutions Architect Associate course, as it has a lot of great contextual theory and hands-on labs. I’ll also mix in some Stephane Maarek content too for his concise style.
Since I will be edging towards the cyber security side of things at work, I will be sure to focus on those sections heavily, being sure to challenge myself to adopt secure architectural design decisions for labs and projects. Being able to confidently discuss security best practices will be my goal by the end of the month.
With Python, a lot of what I’ve covered so far is still fresh surprisingly. So I will revisit my GitHub with the aim of updating any code to make it cleaner where possible. I will also resume 100 days of code, and make sure to beat my personal best of 34 consecutive days of coding practice.
Linux is less fresh in my mind, so I will work a little more on this one. Initially I was using WSL to use Ubuntu on my laptop. However, I will go down the virtualisation route instead. It’s safer and can save me time in the long run with pre-set VMIs.
OCTOBER outlook summary
- Interviews and preparations
- Created my WordPress blog AWS project
- Studied networking
- Linux and Bash scripting
- Re-planned Study Bud-e
NOVEMBER outlook summary
- Studying for AWS SAA C03
- Python – ‘100 Days of Code’ course
- Job role preparations
- Study Bud-e development
- Exercising a healthy work-life balance
With all that said, we’ve come to the end. I’d like to say a HUGE welcome back and thank you for sticking with me through this longer recap. I have another blog post ready to go, so make sure you stay tuned! It will be the first official entry of my AWS re/Start Survival Guide.
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