Compared to previous years, 2020 saw significant growth for me, though I still have a long way to go to reach the level of the true masters.
2021 has arrived, and looking back at the past twelve months, it’s time for some serious reflection.
Health
The body is the foundation of everything. 2020 was the year I finally took fitness seriously—outdoor running in the first half and systematic gym training in the second.
- I started as a total novice with gym equipment. By using YouTube tutorials and observing the form of regular gym-goers, I’ve finally started my professional fitness journey.
- The data is encouraging: my weight has stabilized. While I haven’t quite dropped below 70kg yet due to moderate intensity, the habit of regular exercise is now firmly rooted. The physical improvements are visible—I’m less “puffy,” and my chest muscles are taking shape.
Learning
- I’ve refined my learning methods and settled into a mature workflow. I now use a combination of Medium, Twitter, O’Reilly, Kindle, and MarginNote to cross-reference and synthesize knowledge.
- However, my reading volume is still too low (less than 10 books). As a friend bluntly put it, I lack “cultural depth.” I need to push harder here.
- The improvement I’m most proud of between 2018 and 2020 is my English. Reading is no longer a significant hurdle. My writing still needs work, but I’ve taken the first step. In 2021, I aim to reach a level where I can communicate basic ideas in writing without friction.
Technology & Open Source
Technology is my livelihood; open source is my primary means of communication, exchange, and growth. I was more active in the open-source community this year than ever before.
Achievements:
- Developed 19 Alfred Workflows.
- Developed 3 JetBrains Plugins.
- Open-sourced several repositories on GitHub containing best practices from my work and solutions to everyday life problems.
- Continued blogging consistently. As quality and quantity improved, the blog started providing positive returns:
- Several readers reached out via comments or email.
- I integrated Google AdSense on my self-hosted blog and mirrored high-quality articles to Medium. Both platforms are now generating modest income.
Life
- I’ve hit 30 without even realizing it. The big questions—marriage and housing—are now front and center. I can no longer avoid planning for these.
Work
I joined a new company in January 2020 and spent the year focusing on a single major project. Key takeaways include:
- CI Improvements: Automated MR generation and email delivery of CHANGELOGs, eliminating manual releases. Refined Lints and Hooks to ensure environment and code style consistency.
- Component Library: Established a shared frontend component library to boost efficiency in common scenarios (e.g., auto-generated directories and hotkey-bound forms).
- Chrome Extensions: Developed tools like a daily stand-up meeting timer/reminder.
- Data Tools: Built JS utilities to convert Excel and JSON to SQL, speeding up production data fixes.
- IDE Plugins: Created a JetBrains plugin to log code review issues directly within the editor.
The Road Ahead
- Despite the successes listed above, I’m reminded of Jack Ma’s observation about why people leave jobs: they’re either underpaid or unhappy. I feel I’ve hit both points. The current environment is incredibly inefficient for me, and the frustration is compounded because the inefficiency isn’t a result of my own ability.
- At 30, it’s time to stabilize my life. I’m an adult now, and I need to act like it.
2021, here I come!
