So I came into January feeling pretty bummed. The dark, the cold, the post-Holidays ennui, etc. etc. I was feeling pretty underwhelmed about the start of 2025. Thus, I set a basic list:
- Get a Job…or at Least Get Pretty Close
- Headway on the 101 Things
Get a Job…or at Least Get Pretty Close
So I did a whole bunch of interviews at a local software shop. They do a ton of e-commerce work, something that’s really interesting to me. I applied for a role they had listed on their site and was invited to a job fair the next day. A short conversation with their principal engineer resulted in an interview with their Director of Operations/HR person a little over a week later. Then on the 29th, I had a group interview with both the hiring managers and with the principal engineer again. This definitely counts toward my goal for the month and I’m feeling great about where things are at. Done!
Headway on the 101 Things
Exercise at least 3x/week for 52 weeks. This was an easy finish. It was just lengthy. Exercising 3x per week is a cake walk and everyone should do it. I feel like I’ve gotten to the point where daily exercise could definitely be a permanent thing going forward.
Udemy courses. I finished the PCEP course this month and I’m working through the my drawing course now, too. With the addition of a prep course for the PCAP certification, I am sitting in a spot where I should be halfway through the goal (take six full courses) this month.
Reading 150 books. I got through three books this month, which keeps me on-pace for the year. Getting this wrapped-up by September of 2026 will be no problem.
Get at least two certifications. I took, and passed my PCEP certification. Feeling pretty okay about it. It’s an entry-level cert, and I’m capable of so much more than what’s in there. So now I’m prepping to bash out PCAP later this year.
Non-Fiction Book. Did some mind mapping work, had a bit of a brainstorm about overall structure, and sent out some emails to some people I want to talk to regarding the topic. More on this as it develops.
Minor/Other Accomplishments
- Made serious headway on the indexing/cataloging of my entire arsenal of Magic: The Gathering cards. I’m probably about 3/4ths of the way through at this point and feeling pretty good about it.
Reading
This is a new bit that I’m adding to the monthly recap. I finished the first three in January, and got a good-sized chunk of the fourth done, too.
Blockers
- My brother passed away on the 30th after a lengthy battle with cancer. It didn’t kill my productivity as much as if it’d happened earlier in the month, but man February is going to suuuuuck.
- We started the house hunt formally so that’s keeping us pretty busy.
- Freelance work is ramping up significantly.
- Freezing cold temps made me want to stay in bed most days.
Lessons Learned
- It’s highly probable that I frequently bite off more than I can reasonably chew.