2022 Annual Review
Landing in Big Tech, getting engaged, seeing family after three years, and wrestling with the question of what comes next.
Table of Contents
2022 was a year of limbo and questions.
After two nightmare years of toxic jobs and awful cultures, I finally stabilized. I landed in Big Tech, got engaged, saw my family after three years apart, and started asking bigger questions about what I actually want from life.
Highlights
Made it to Big Tech
I transitioned into product management without prior training. I lack a lot of skills but proved I can learn anything. Started BFT again, took my first Reforge class.
Got engaged
July. The proposal, the ring. After years of building a life together in Singapore, we made it official.
Saw family after 3 years
Trip to Europe in summer. Three years of pandemic separation finally ended.
Launched a product at work
Despite corporate structure and occasional disengagement, I shipped something real.
Bali for New Year’s
Closed out the year on an island with friends.
Lowlights
Paralysis
I wanted to learn to code well enough to build products. I wanted a secondary income source. None of it happened.
I did too many things. Wasted time on PKM rabbit holes, YouTube, tutorials instead of building. I followed the hype instead of what felt right. I wasn’t building projects, I was learning lessons. I wasn’t shipping, I was planning.
Time crunch
New job meant proving myself. By end of day I was too tired to work on anything personal. I’d watch TV instead. Failed to create a proper schedule.
Not enough time with parents
They’re far away. I need to fix this.
Learnings
- Focus matters
- It’s ok to delay decisions when things aren’t clear
- Both extremes are bad. Balance is the answer
- Simple life and integrity above all
- Chase things that energize you
Several people told me I’m underachieving. That I’m one of the smartest people they know and I should be doing more.
I struggle with:
- Committing to one thing
- Shipping and taking action
- Letting go of non-essentials
Beliefs that held me back:
- I don’t know what’s next
- I’m afraid to break what I’ve built
- I’m too old to begin a new journey
Life dimensions
| Area | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 8/10 | Need to stop smoking |
| Family | 3/10 | Too far away |
| Friends | 6/10 | Need more people doing what I want to do |
| Relationship | 7/10 | Need to work on conflict |
| Money | 6/10 | Earning the most ever but managing poorly |
| Career | 7.5/10 | Grateful but disengaged |
| Spirituality | 3/10 | Never explored |
| Personal Growth | 9/10 | Constantly learning but over-consuming |
| Professional Growth | 5/10 | Stuck |
| Leisure | 5/10 | Sacrificing fun for goals |
What I want
- Simple life - I already have everything I need
- Seeking mastery
- Forever student with beginner’s mind
- Being mindful
- Work on interesting problems
- Give and contribute to meaningful causes
- Cultivate virtue
- My own path
- Take risks
- Be playful and foolish
Gratitude
I’m grateful for my upbringing. For my parents, despite the distance. For people who uplift me and take me on adventures. For life in Singapore.
Looking ahead to 2023: learn to code, write, maybe earn my first dollar online. Ship over plan.