2023 lookback retrospective what are your takeaways from this year?

Starting the year, I looked at where my life was and decided work was good enough for now, but I'd been neglecting romantic relationships. A year later, and to my surprise, in my mid-30's, I have my first mid-term girlfriend.

We get along great, have a lot in common, similar values, and FAANG salaries. She's so thoughtful and caring I'm not sure if I deserve this. I'm still working through feelings on the freedom you lose in a relationship, and how this especially hard after 15 years of flying solo. I've also been seeing a sex therapist. Not that anything is wrong, but this is still new to me, and having this outlet is really helpful.

What is top of mind for me currently, based on observations from my experience: Doubt can be strongly embodied. Meaning, it's not as simple as thinking your way out of it.

As much as I've achieved personally and professionally, when I put myself outside of my comfort zone and into the public arena of judging eyes, I still face doubt.

As much as I can steel myself mentally, remind myself of my accomplishments, analyze my situation, etc. there is a part of me, perhaps as a self-protection mechanism, that creates doubt. That doubt colors my entire experience, influencing my thoughts and actions. Overall it acts as a limiter. I can feel the difference in my body.

I can be aware of all of this, and counteract it to some extent, but it has its own gravity. It's all very impressive in the most literal sense of the word.

So I am learning more about how doubt shows up, and how to work with it beyond simple motivational tricks. For example: Letting go of the need to control it, getting very familiar with the nature of it, and reorienting myself even as I fail to accomplish my goals again and again.

Happy New Year HN. May you find the resilience to overcome whatever doubts are holding you back from living the life you want.

- Static site generation is amazing. It produces super fast websites that run forever on simple infrastructure. The data is files that you can view and edit with the software you love.

- Scripts over systems.

- Relationships and mutual support are incredibly valuable in business. Setting up a group chat for my small industry was a brilliant idea. I can't keep working alone in a bubble.

- I should have better awareness of the correlation between my actions and my well-being. It's crazy how much hydration, sleep and other little things affect my mood. Maybe carbs and fat for lunch, or tea after 2PM are a bad idea.

Renewables are on a course that will completely change the world, and no one really understands how transformative it already is

England used 0 coal and 7% natgas last night. Rest of their grid was wind and a bit of nukes.

Not some little Carribean island. England.

This was the last year before AI, hand in hand with all the other technology of today, turned the modern world upside down. The last year we kinda could trust things we see or hear. I don't want to sound to dystopian but most people don't seem to understand the impact all these technology will and already has on our daily lives.

I reignited a passion for my car with a few suspension upgrades and maintenance; it turns 20 and is on the way to 25.

Ai is really neat for summarizing, used it most for pre Dr visit diagnosis - less likely than WebMD to feel like you have a severe disease.

Had some quality time with my dad with a fishing trip and car projects, now maybe some house projects.

Cut your list of goals down to 1-2, tops. Focus entirely on those until you achieve them. It's very easy to waste a lot of time doing 10 different things at once, but making real progress on none of them.

One key takeaway is Barcelona is great, going back next summer.

Another is think carefully every time your feet leave the ground. I fell off a ladder and was ok, but I could have broken my neck.

I’m ready to retire (not savings-wise though)

People are so desperate they will use artificial intelligence, even though it’s proven to be unreliable (hallucinations).

"AI" is the new crypto pump and dump.

Yes, some of it is impressive. Jamming LLMs into every little thing to pump the stock price is not.

The majority of GPT wrapper startups will be dead by this time next year.

Right wing finally figured out social media and is presenting competent pushback to DEI

Two people can love one another and it can still not work out.