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2023 was an exhilarating year for me. While I didn't accomplish every goal, I achieved a substantial 70%, which I consider a resounding success. This year-in-review reflects on my triumphs and lessons, helping me prepare efficiently for the coming year. Although reflections are demanding, assessing my achievements, milestones, and lessons from 2023 has been a gratifying experience.
Triumphs and Successes
This year was marked by numerous "wow" moments, a testament to my hard work, dedication, and resilience. I'm proud to highlight 10 major achievements:
Dynamites Awards: I was honoured with two prestigious awards - the Rising Star in Tech and the People's Choice Tech Award for North East England. The Rising Star Award recognized my impactful contributions within my first three years in the IT and tech sector. The People's Choice award, an honorary recognition, was for securing 23% of the total votes at the event. Read more.
Academic Role: I ventured into academia as a Course Tutor at Durham University, within the Faculty of Computer Science for the TechUp Women Program. This program, designed in collaboration with the industry, focuses on retraining women from underserved groups into tech careers. I remotely trained 30 female and non-binary individuals, providing a comprehensive curriculum covering fundamental computer skills, IT support, coding, software development, user research/design, digital marketing, web design, and data analysis.
Professional Advancement: My career saw significant growth with two salary increases and a promotion from Junior to Python Backend Engineer. Although I missed out on taking any professional certifications this year, I successfully transitioned to a UK Skilled Worker Visa, marking a significant personal milestone.
New Home: Moving to a larger house, conveniently located near the beach, was a strenuous yet rewarding task. This move is set to boost my productivity and well-being. Still trying to settle into my new place but I'm loving it a lot so far.
Non-Profit Endeavors: At Digital Grassroots, despite facing numerous challenges, our team's resilience led to maintaining our status as a registered entity operating in the UK, exceeding our funding goals by over 50%, and delivering impactful digital inclusion projects for underrepresented youth. I love the work I do here and I am focused on doing much more.
Travel Adventures: I travelled to cities like Amsterdam, Athens, Vienna, Dortmund, Berlin, Madrid, Belfast, Kigali, Nairobi, Podgorica, Tivat, and St Julian. Although not all my travel plans materialized (signs in Sweden), and I faced loads of uncertainty with visa processes that took an entire year (laughs in Canada), the journeys I undertook were enriching, and I plan to continue this trend with more intentional trips in 2024.
Hackathon Participation: Competing in two global software development hackathons and securing the first runner-up position in both was an exhilarating experience, enhancing my public project development skills.
Building Relationships: This year was significant for maintaining and nurturing relationships with family, friends, and professional contacts. I dedicated time to self-reflection, assessing and strengthening these connections.
DjangoCon Africa: Joining the organizing committee for the first DjangoCon Africa in Zanzibar, Tanzania, was a memorable experience. Although I couldn't attend in person, contributing to this community event was incredibly fulfilling. It was quite amazing to experience, contribute and work with individuals who are working hard to organise talks, workshops and projects on programming, technology, careers, society and business.
AI Engineering Role: An unexpected and much-welcomed turn in my career was my commencement into AI Engineering. A client project at work necessitated learning to build an AI-based service, sparking my interest in this rapidly evolving field. I look forward to exploring building more AI SaaS products.
Lessons Learned
The following points encapsulate the lessons from this year, shaping my approach for 2024:
Be Fearless and Brave: For 2024, my motto is to be fearless and brave. Often, we are our harshest critics, holding ourselves back. I aim to shed pessimism and operate without fear of failure, overthinking, self-doubt, and anxiety over imagined scenarios.
Communicate How You Feel: It's important to express oneself clearly; others can't read our minds. I'm committed to taking more responsibility in communicating my feelings and thoughts openly with those around me.
Ask for What You Want: Dreaming costs nothing, and self-limiting beliefs should not hold us back. I plan to confidently envision the best possible outcomes for myself and actively seek them, especially in my career.
Be Resilient in Pursuit of Goals: Consistency is more effective than intensity. Previously, my high-energy approach led to burnout. Now, I'm focusing on setting realistic, achievable goals and pursuing them over time, incorporating rest and self-care in my planning. Trust the process all the time. Maintain tunnel vision. Remove distractions. Young King, discipline yourself <3.
Plan Thoroughly and Follow Through: Success requires effort, hard work, dedication, and meticulous planning. My strategy involves thoroughly assessing situations, creating realistic pathways to goals, and considering how various factors may interact and impact outcomes.
Reach Out to Friends: Life is enriched by friendships. I intend to surround myself with understanding friends who contribute to my personal growth. In return, I'm prepared to offer the same level of support and understanding to them.
Talk to Family Frequently: Being far from my home in Nigeria, I realize the importance of staying connected with my family. I plan to engage more intentionally with my family members to mitigate feelings of loneliness.
Eat Proper Meals: A balanced diet is crucial for maintaining productivity. I recognize the significance of nutrition in my daily life and am committed to eating wholesome and nourishing meals.
Prioritize Health, Well-being, and Quality of Life: Attending to physical and mental health is a priority. I plan to consult my GP for any health concerns, maintain daily self-care routines, exercise regularly, and engage in activities that enhance my overall well-being.
Document Everything: The importance of documentation has become apparent. I will diligently take notes in meetings, capture moments with friends, keep to-do lists, and promptly respond to all emails to ensure that no detail is forgotten.
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on 2023 has been enlightening. Despite the global challenges we face (inflation, capitalism, racism, corruption, terrorism, election malpractice, war, misogyny etc), I remain hopeful for healthier coping mechanisms in 2024. Each year offers a new opportunity for self-improvement, and I am ready to put in the work to make 2024 another successful year.
Here's to 2024 filled with happiness, strength, courage, good health, joy, and prosperity!
Cheers.