So long year 2016. It was… fun… while it lasted.

Every year around my birthday and subsequently around new years I reflect on the year that was and think to myself: was that a good year? Did I earn enough experience points to level up? (gaming reference). This past year was interesting, chaotic, stressful, fun, enjoyable, rewarding, but, overall it’s hard to say if it’s going to be one of those years I look back and remember. A lot happened. There was 365 days of activities of all shapes and sizes. The problem is that there was only a handful of things that I could say were awesome.

To therefore answer the question; did I level up this year?; I think I would have to answer it by saying I earned enough experience points across all aspects of life to warrant a level up. [, but, I don’t feel like it was a level up. It’s one of those “good enough” moments; which reminds me of Purple Cow by Seth Godin and the reference to “remarkable” or not. The year was very good, but, not that remarkable.] Thinking it through, and looking at some of the achievements of the year:

• Giving up caffeine and my daily dependence on it
• Reducing my sugar consumption - going 8 months without any kind of fizzy drink
• Amazing holiday with Mrs Lucian and experiences in Europe in August
• Visiting the US for the first time and attending Microsoft Ignite, then seeing San Fran with Mrs Lucian
• Doing some interesting and rewarding projects at Kloud
• Continuing to write on here and getting a bigger audience to share with

Listing those off and reviewing the months and weeks that went by, I have to re-answer that question and I say that there was a lot of experience points earned. The year was very good, maybe not the most remarkable overall or remarkable of all time, but, very good indeed. Certainly a level up.

New Years resolutions

To hold myself accountable to continue to do certain habits, I thought I’d put them out there on the interwebs. In the new year I had a list of things I wanted to do more of, to achieve which I guess qualify for some resolutions. I’ve not really done resolutions in the past; apart from the generic “be healthier” etc. However, I did some thinking and there’s certainly a good use case for doing such reflection and forward thinking. With that said, here’s the list:

• Start and continue to write in a daily journal - 10-15min
  • I did this for maybe a 3-4 weeks worth throughout this year, not nearly enough
  • The more input I get, the more I need a medium to sort through the ramblings in my head
  • Doing something like getting key thoughts and ideas out in a trackable and easily digestible means is important
• Streamline my morning routine and eat breakfast more often - 15-30min
  • For a while this year I was eating a good, healthy breakfast daily
  • When times got “busy” and time was reduced, my morning routine suffered and breakfast was quick to be cut out
  • I want to find the time to eat something and enjoy my decaf cappuccino before heading off to work
• Study daily - 60-90min
  • Allocate 1hour minimum to learning and getting certified
  • I have 4 certificates (3x Microsoft MCP’s and the TOGAF: Enterprise Architecture) that I want to get done
  • Allocating time to study daily to always be learning
• Continue my weight lifting routine - 10-15min daily
  • Set routine I do
  • Continue to do that as I’ve felt great since I started doing it
• Learn German and Italian and be able to have a decent conversation with someone - 30min daily
  • I have family in Germany and in Italy and I love both countries
  • Every time I visit those places, I always wish I could talk with the people there a bit better
  • Getting at least half way through the Duolingo courses for both would be ideal
  • Perhaps even doing Romanian, if its on there, to brush up on my native tongue

Most of these are daily routines. Their habits that if I can do them consistently for a couple of months, I know I can continue to do them indefinitely. Sometime in the last few years that I came by the quote, which when something along the lines of:

“Life is a system. Find how the system works and work it to your advantage”

Using that as a reference point, I want to put into place these NYE resolutions, these thoughts, aspirations and habits so that I could possibly work the system in my favour in 2017.

Thank you 2016. Best regards and see you shortly 2017!