ME!

Almost a wrap to 2021 and this is my second ‘Year in Review’ post since starting my blog last year! To me, this year has been another year of many “firsts”.

In reflection, here are some key highlights-

Became a pawrent to my adorable Golden Retriever puppy

The highlight of my year- from endless love and joy I experience every day to the fun training sessions to the rain or shine walks, not a piece of cake.

Experimented with audio content with JAM (@jam.ai)

This was a great experiment for me to try out audio content creation and I loved it. I am exploring the idea of a podcast after this initial burst of confidence. Check out the platform and my content titled (‘Software Engineer Reverse Engineering Life’)[https://www.jam.ai/jam/software-engineer-reverse-engineering-life]

Wrote an article for an external publisher (@LeadDev)

Start of the year, I wrote an article for LeadDev and it was nice to work with professional editors and get feedback on my writing.

Dealt with anxiety, stress, overwhelm and found ways that work for me to manage it

This has been a year I experienced emotions of a magnitude that felt crushing simply because of the number of things on my plate. I’d say we are lucky today that we have access to information and resources that help us deal with it. For me, mindfulness and exercising work magic and it’s a practice for life.

Mentored a diverse set of graduate students

This year SJSU matched me with a diverse set of graduate mentees and I had the opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas on career growth, networking, communication, prioritization, etc.

My goals for 2022 are:

Put health and wellness first

For me, this is the main pillar to being my best. So, I will practice what I have learned with consistency, small simple steps daily to be more resilient and grateful.

Improve my communication skills- writing, speaking, listening, and reading

I think I know the secret to improve communication- quantity builds quality when the intention is in check. The more you experiment, the more you find what works for you and you keep getting better.

Networking

I want to network with more folks in areas of my interest 1:1 and learn more by building meaningful connections.

Celebrate every win, no matter how small

It’s easy to get stuck in the weeds with the fast pace of life. I intend to find ways to celebrate small wins like - publishing a blog post, finishing a run, reading a chapter, etc to build awareness around the progress I make.

Learn and Teach

I feel my learning compounds exponentially when I teach what I learn. I will find ways to do this as I know it also helps my goal of improving communication.

:heavy_check_mark: :heavy_check_mark: :heavy_check_mark:

2021 has shaped me to re-think my approach towards change, habits, priorities, and life overall. :sparkles: It’s been the year that has forced me to look inward first and think deep. I am confident entering 2022 with the quote by Brenè Brown as my mantra- ‘We are the mapmakers and the travelers’ :star2: :star2: