2011
Probably the most notable change I experienced in 2011 is my rate of growth. I've always loved to learn. I was good at it in school, and really couldn't get enough. It came easy. In highschool, I didn't spend very much time doing homework after school because I usually did it during other classes while still listening to the lecture. What little homework I remember doing was math, mainly calculus. I was actually excited to get home and spend a couple hours doing what amounted to a few problems. My classmates would come home and complain about going to sleep at 2am because they had so much homework - this I could never understand. But this aptitude begat laziness. So much so that it led me to become bored during college and walk out mid-class.
The following years I continued to program and learn a bit here and there. But I had no peers, no mentor, and nobody challenging me. I firmly believe that to get better at anything, you have to surround yourself with people better than you. You also have to challenge yourself. Without those things, you can continue to learn but your rate of growth will be stunted.
This year was full of challenges. I was surrounded by a programming team whos skills far surpass my own. This was an introduction into a whole new world for me. I started following people on Twitter, reading smart peoples' blogs, asking questions and expanding my knowledge. I also jumped into the Unix world when I bought a Mac in December of 2010 (I certainly didn't buy it for the OS). With this came a plethora of new tools, CLI goodness and possibilities I'd never thought of. Not to mention a new way of thinking. I also started learning Vim. From a programming perspective, this was a pretty good year. My involvement with the CakePHP project has sadly dropped dramatically. That's because between startups and "real" work I'm working 60+ hour weeks. I've noticed, however, that this drop has slowed my learning once again. This is something I'll have to be careful of.
Another experience that helped my growth was my visit to Japan. I've always been fascinated with Japan, its culture, its food, and its people. I visited a buddy out there for a couple of weeks. He spoke some Japanese, so I learned any I could. I absolutely love the language, so getting to speak it was a pleasure. I'm a pretty quick learner, according to my friend. I'm hoping to learn more later (頑張ります。). We got the full experience because we couch surfed and stayed with natives who showed us around and let us live in their homes. I also met some fantastic programmers. Being immersed in a different culture, if even for two weeks, is something I highly recommend. I cannot wait to return to that beautiful country.
The latter half of the year was ripe with changes. One of my best friends is moving away and starting a new job. We worked together for probably around 50 hours a week, so that's a pretty dramatic change. I moved out of a comfortable living situation into a less comfortable one. I started working with a startup and within a month became the lead developer. I launched my own little startup with some friends.
Personally and professionally, I learned a lot this last year. Not as much as I wanted, but still more than the previous year. I don't care about the new year and resolutions and such - after all, it's just another day - but it's a convenient time to write down what's happened. My memory is really poor so remember a year back is difficult enough. That said, my continuous goals remain the same. When I achieve them I guess is up to me.
As my buddy reminds me: "What's my motto, Jeremy?" "Sigh, don't be lazy."
