My 2022 Annual Review

Before you begin reading, let's take a look at the why what, and how of this post.

• If you're already familiar with this topic, feel free to scroll down and jump straight to the questions. What questions? If that's what you're thinking, then read on.

It is my first blog post, it took me a calculated 12hrs 30min in finishing this post and I have utilized tools like Notion AI and ChatGpt to improve my writing so I hope you enjoy it. 

So, What is "My 2022 Annual Review"?

This is something I found when I was listening to the Atomic Habits audiobook (A great book I would encourage everyone to read or listen to) in this we are supposed to look back every year at the end of the year and try to answer these 3 questions :

• What went well this year?
• What didn’t go so well this year?
• What did I learn?

While listening to the audiobook "Atomic Habits" on January 27, 2022, I decided to answer the three annual review questions suggested by the author at the end of the year. However, I had forgotten about this until a reminder popped up on January 27, 2023. Upon searching for "annual progress reflection & review atomic habits," I came across James Clear's Annual Review, which inspired me to write my own blog post. While I could have written my reflections in a document or note-taking app, I felt inspired to share my thoughts with others through a blog post, driven by both the desire to share and some personal reasons. which are:

1. If I know this might be read by someone on the internet, I will try to write it seriously

2. I want to try blogging.

If you are still reading, I wish you success in your life, Since we have made it this far let's get to the most important part, In this writing, I will try to be as honest as possible.

1. What went well this year?

• Completed full-stack development course: Since 2021, I have been learning full-stack web development from this course (Great course). I completed the web2 development part, which was my goal. Completing the course does not make me a master of this, but I am now familiar with and introduced to the tools used for MERN development.

• Read and listen to audiobooks: I've always been drawn to books; I believe reading can help develop the mind. I've listened to three audiobooks and read three books in 2022, excluding academic textbooks (you can see the stats on my Goodreads profile here). My favorites were The Alchemist, Atomic Habits, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. I also wrote reviews for some of them on Goodreads.

• Semester exam: End-semester exams went well. For a while in the middle of the semester, I completely ignored the course subjects. But almost a month before the end exam, I realized that I should study the course subjects. The reason why I wasn't studying them was that I was foolishly engaged in web development work only. I thought that if I want to be a web developer (which I don't think I want now), then why should I study these fundamental concepts of computer science?

  But then, after some time, I learned that fundamentals are way more important than learning development frameworks. I also liked these subjects, so I studied them as per the course syllabus. I read the course subjects books, which was an amazing experience. I enjoyed it.

  I wouldn't say I will be a topper this time or something, but I believed that I did well. Yes, I could have done better, but it was good. As per the result, I got 8.38 SGPA and the topper got 8.63 with which I have no complaints yes we could still try to be toppers but anyway And I learned quite a few interesting things, like understanding the internet to some depth and more.

• Sed life: I attempted to converse with a few girls, but the conversation didn't go as planned. Fortunately, freedom still remains.

2. What didn’t go so well this year?

• Wasted a lot of time: I wasted a lot of time, sleeping and consuming endless streams of media like YouTube shorts (these days, it's all about shorts; I can't remember the last time I watched a YouTube video that was more than two minutes long), TV series, anime series, porn, and more. This was time wasted, not for hours but for days. Why? Because there were some days when I just didn't feel like doing anything. On those days, sometimes I was able to manage myself and not fall into the "feel bad, do wrong" loop (there could be another name for this, but it's basically that you feel bad about something you did and, because you don't feel good, you do something else you'd rather avoid, willingly or unwillingly. Then, you feel bad again because of what you did, and you do it again because you're feeling bad. This cycle goes on until you're in a much worse condition than you were at the start, and by then, a lot of time and energy has been wasted). On some days, I fell into this trap and the bad thing for me was time wasted and not doing productive work. At the end of this loop, I usually ended up in much worse conditions. Some days, I had to starve because I stayed in my room and didn't go to the mess for food. ate a lot of junk food, and the highest no of continuous days I did like this is 5. This also contributed heavily to damaging my eyes.

  But now, after learning a few things like it's okay to take a rest when you want to, that what's done is done and we should keep moving forward, that the first time is an accident but the second time is the start of a new habit, that feelings aren't usually true, and much more from books and real life, because of which now I'm able to think much more clearly and make better decisions to take better actions.

• Noticeably damaged my eyes: In 2022, I had to get eyewear for myself. I had experienced some issues with my eyes before, such as burning and irritations occasionally. However, in 2022, I noticed a significant deterioration in my vision. I was unable to see objects clearly from a distance, and my vision was blurry.

  I believe that the main cause of this was "Wasted a lot of time" explained above, being on an internship in the last semester in a start-up of unethical and stupid students and while learning full stack web development I had pushed my screen time much more than what is recommended and had not taken good care of my eyes.

• Got defrauded 25k rupees: When I was in semester 3 I got defrauded 25000 IC rupees by a teacher, Yes I was foolish I realized later on when he has already left the university and it has been more than 8 months but still I haven’t got my money back and I have decided to let it go.

3. What did I learn?

• Completing a book: In my journey of reading, I have found a process that is working for me to complete a book, which I would recommend to anyone who wants to read a book in its entirety. First, I buy the book in hardcopy or print it out if the soft copy is available, and would be cheaper this way. Alternatively, you can use a device specifically for reading books, like a Kindle. However, I advise against reading on a phone as this can cause distractions and detract from the reading experience.

  When reading a book for the first time, I read it continuously without stopping to understand words or phrases that I am unfamiliar with. Instead, I mark these areas for future reference and understanding as it’s said “you might miss the tree if you waste time with leaves”. Once I have completed the book, if I enjoyed it, then I go through the marked sections If it was a great book. I would read it again as it is said “Read old books and read great ones twice”. I read every night before bed, dedicating 30 minutes to 2 hours to reading. It took me about two months to complete my first book, "The Alchemist," using this method. Of course, it is not the most perfect and only way but it seems to be working well for me. Try it if you will.

  It is important to remember that reading a book takes time and patience. Don't be fooled by the notion that some people can complete a book in a week or a few days. so you must do the same. The speed at which you complete a book can vary greatly based on your reading experience and the time you dedicate to reading each day. The most important thing is to actually read the book and not just turn the pages quickly.

• Started speaking the truth and realized its importance: I have always known that speaking the truth is important, but it wasn't until 2022 that I truly grasped its significance. Despite this knowledge, I used to hold back or make excuses for lying because it was easier for both myself and others momentarily. However, I realized that speaking the truth, no matter how difficult or painful the consequences may be, is crucial for building meaningful relationships and experiencing genuine moments. It has been a challenge at times, but I have come to understand that honesty is the foundation of all healthy relationships. I have learned from past experiences that avoiding the truth leads to more problems in the long run. Being truthful may require more effort but leads to more opportunities and positive experiences. Additionally, speaking truth to oneself is just as important, if not more so, than speaking truth to others. Speaking the truth has helped me see reality and identify some of my weaknesses and strengths. Be wary of people who lie; it's best to stay away from them.

• Realized that I don't know a lot of things consciously: Last year came to the realization that there is much that I do not know and understand. This epiphany came after I started speaking the truth to myself and others. This has been a humbling experience, as I acknowledge how much I still have to learn. Last year, I learned that thinking I knew everything and judging things based on my limited knowledge often leads to unexpected and disappointing outcomes. That's why, following the approach suggested by Mark Manson in his book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck," I strive to always update my knowledge and stay curious. The feeling of thinking we know everything is a trap that can prevent us from experiencing reality and gaining new knowledge. By assuming that I am already wrong and aiming to be less wrong, instead of right, I am able to keep my mind open to new insights and perspectives, just as Steve Jobs encouraged us to "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.”

There has being much more realizations in 2022 but I won’t bore you with all of those, Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and I hope you have a great day!