I’ve not had my own website for quite a number of years prior to 2022; primarily down to analysis paralysis – I just couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with my own site before. Therefore, I’ve never written a year in review post and this is my first stab at one so I’ve decided to keep it simple and relatively short.

This year has been a challenging one in a lot of ways, but there’s also been a lot of great things for me in 2022. So without further ado, here is the good, the bad and my look ahead to next year.

The Good

Some of the standout points (but certainly not an exhaustive list):

• We’ve some some wonderful (and challenging) times with the kids this year, and they continue to amaze me with the wonderful little people they are and are becoming
• I began drawing again for the first time in nearly 15 years; there’s still a long way to go and I need to be more consistent with the practice but I’ve been pleased with my progress
• I launched my own website for the first time in years, and while I didn’t work on it as much as I would have liked, it’s a good start
• I achieved some significant milestones in my previous, e-commerce focused role that I am professionally proud of
• I started a new role (at the same company) that is more fulfilling, aligns with my career goals and pays better
• I have been working on a new design system, learning a new programming language in the process which has enabled me to use my design and development skillset in a much more fulfilling manner
• I let go of chasing the “new shiny tech” feeling in web development and reassessed where I would focus my efforts; JavaScript land tends to change their mind on what the best way to build something is every five minutes which just adds to burnout!

The Bad

• We lost my father in-law this year, which aside from mourning that loss, brought additional challenges, responsibilities and burdens to our family
• I’ve struggled with burnout and mental health somewhat this year; personal, global and climate emergency stress has all contributed to this
• We (my wife and I) have not prioritised our own mental and physical health

Looking Ahead To 2023

The key thing for 2023 is balance.

My main aim for next year is to achieve better balance in my personal life. I want to spend more quality time with my family. Right now, I’m so exhausted by the time I reach the weekend that I’m not giving my kids my best attention. This is just wrong and I feel like I’m missing out on more of their formative years than I would like.

My wife and I have tended to put the needs of others ahead of our own in a lot of situations which has contributed to me experiencing burnout, stress and exhaustion for most of this year. My mental and physical health needs to be more of a priority. I’m not saying that this should come at the expense of helping other important people in my life, but I won’t be any good to anyone if I don’t start taking better care of myself. Again, balance.

There’s a lot of other things I hope to achieve or do next year, personally and professionally, but a lot of them are in service of me achieving better balance in my family life and with myself so I don’t feel the need to write about them here – in the interest of not making this post too long.

Do I have a plan on how I’m going to achieve this new, better balance? No.

I’ll just keep trying my best, keep my aims in the front of my mind and go from there.