20 for 20

I do not typically write about my personal life, but a new year calls for new traditions.

I woke up early today. A mixture of excitement, can’t sleep-ness, pressure, and anxiety all rolled up into a riot of “right now” that opened tired eyes to blearily stare at the celling.

I’m awake.

My mind is all early morning fog. The way you feel when you know you need more sleep.

My mind is all running and ruminating. The way you feel when you know you cannot sleep more even if you tried (I did).

I sit stuffy nosed and slightly cold. Kitchen table magic, laptop, hazy sky, and fingertips chilly from the open window that leads to my backyard. I stare out as I sometimes do. Smile, breathe (semi) deeply and let the possibilities of a new year wrap around me. Not wings, not a cloak, more like a breeze that brings something fresh on the air - allowing a kid who once fought with asthma, to actually breathe deeply.

I feel compelled to do something different this morning. So I am writing. I am letting fingers flow and mind wander. Buoyed on the tide of a new year I am excited to sail into the distance. Send letters back and tell my past self all the wonders and wonts, the memories and moments, of new times that continue to unfold.

I look towards the horizon and am grateful to the wave the guided me here…

2019 was a marvel.

I took a sabbatical, reconnected with family, made new friends and grew as mentor, manager, leader, and human. I lost, I loved, I learned.

Most joyously…

I got married!

2019 was more epic than I could ever have imagined. A wonderful whirlwind of ceremonies, happiness, love, soul-linking, and food! Traveling to islands, new cities, distant countries - all hand in hand with my queen!

I happily sit at my desk, content to be home after months of travel, parties, boats, planes, rental cars, hotel beds, and futons. Home feels glorious.

I am blessed and I feel it.

I look forward again…

20 for 20

As the mind couldn’t sleep, neither could the body, and therefore I wrote. I wrote what came forth, I wrote what was (is) in my heart, and wrote words that will inspire me and focus me as the year unfolds.

20 Goals, Ideas, Resolutions, and Motivations for 2020:

  • Be a loving, caring, supporting, listening, wonderful husband
  • Continue to be a mentor, volunteer, and give back
  • Have a social impact with software (and other means)
  • Fight for the 2020 election
  • Learn a new programming language
  • Build a mobile app (and write about it!)
  • Build a [TOP-SECRET] website (and yup, you guessed it, write about it!)
  • Stay connected / connect more with family and friends
  • Code more (and continue to stay technical)
  • Speak at a technical event
  • Share learning on implementing Accelerate (particularly from a leadership standpoint)
  • Write about AMPED
  • Write programming power ups / refactoring fundamentals
  • Contribute to open source
  • Improve my work / life balance (still pretty skewed)
  • Prioritize my mental health, general health, and overall well being
  • Carve out some time to play video games (like I really need to beat Zelda at this point!)
  • Take walks (try to walk once a day, particularly during work hours…taking breaks help!)
  • Continue to grow and improve as a leader and manager
  • Smile, love, and support others in their dreams

Whew, ain’t that a list? Welp, that is all I am willingly to share (publicly) at this point! But wanted to put it out there. Felt compelled, felt like sharing, and felt like doing something different as we embark upon this new decade. Throughout the year I will come back to this post and provide updates on my progress. Gotta measure the marvels and make sure we are making headway towards our goals. We got this!

I wish you and yours blessings upon blessings in the new year!

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