The Year Has Not Gone According to Plan May 9, 2026

The last year has certainly not gone according to plan. If you look at the date of my last (and only) blog post, my repositories on GitHub, or my mastodon instance, you’ll find I haven’t done much (digitally) in just over a year. This largely reflects the fact that I have had little to no mental or emotional energy to put into things outside of what is absolutely necessary. I’m going to avoid giving too many details, but my personal life (e.g. non-work, non-technical, etc.) has changed significantly in that time and forced me to circle the wagons, so to speak.

I spent the better part of the last 6 months in particular trying to be more gracious to myself. I struggle with always feeling the need to accomplish tasks: cleaning, cooking, learning, physically moving, etc. I’ve been focusing on recognizing when I need breaks or rest, allowed myself to read a book or watch TV when I could otherwise be productive, and reminded myself that the value of the day isn’t measured in completed checklists. I’m finally at a point where I feel a bit more balanced, and frankly I’m getting bored. I need to start doing something with my spare time.

I miss the sense of accomplishment of having built a thing or completed a task. I don’t get to write code at work much lately - so I need an outlet in my own time to get that dopamine drip. I’m going to start small - writing, coding, tweaking, fixing, etc. The first example of that is this piece I’m writing now.

I’m also going to set the bar low for myself. Don’t build things past when they’re fun. Let myself use AI as much as I want for technical tasks (I’m more interested in the ideas than the code right now anyways). Don’t have any expectations for how long a blog post needs to be to be worth posting. Don’t worry about editing too much. Don’t worry about how others will perceive what I’m writing or building.

It’s been a long year, a very long year…

But, you know how you can have a Saturday that feels like it goes on forever and ever in a good way? How opportunities and time seem to materialize out of thin air? Experiences, laughter, accomplishment, fun, and reflection - over and over and over again - and you check the clock and it’s still only 3 in the afternoon? At the end of the day you’re exhausted (again, in a good way) and left wondering “How did that all happen in just this one day? That was amazing!”

In the same sense, I’m hoping the next year can be a year that feels like it goes on forever and ever, with constantly unfolding opportunities, excitement, and reward. I hope to look back and be grateful at what I’ve gotten to experience, surprised by some of the opportunities I’ve had, and excited for what the next year has to offer.