Previously...
I shared about my career transition, challenges and the retrospective of each challenge. With that, I will be penning down the "nuggets of wisdom" I have gained for 2022!
You can read the previous dev retro here: https://bernicecpz.hashnode.dev/dev-retro-2022-the-potential-of-time
Learning Zone v Performance Zone
Over this year, I am consciously alternating between the learning zone and the performance zone. To not be too hard on me and give myself room to grow through mistakes.
A good TED talk that I gain inspiration from: https://www.ted.com/talks/eduardo_briceno_how_to_get_better_at_the_things_you_care_about?language=en&subtitle=en
Learning is meant to be uncomfortable
Perhaps going through university education, I felt that I have "paid my dues" and therefore expected to know. I can't help but feel guarded when I don't know something. I repeatedly have to fight the imposter syndrome I faced at work.
This year has been a humbling experience. With emotional courage, I took up automation initiatives at work and boldly contributed to improving my team's engineering productivity. This is despite being a beginner in the areas of database deployment and configuration.
A reminder to myself and fellow readers, quoting from this article (https://hbr.org/2019/08/learning-is-supposed-to-feel-uncomfortable)
Feel everything. If you are willing to feel everything - embarrassment, shame, failure and awkwardness, then you can do anything.
Learning takes time and comfort takes experience.
Stay in the discomfort of learning long enough to learn.
Self Care: Slowing Down
It's been 2 years since the COVID pandemic. With WFH and technology, it affected my mental health from overworking and burnout due to the almost 24/7 of being connected. It's important to unplug and slow down whenever possible.
A little random - This lighthearted interview discusses WFH and its impact on the mind when Singapore was in the Circuit Breaker phase - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6n6I6eklao .
It provided some insights to me to take my time to do my work instead of rushing through. Hopefully, the world will start moving forward to post COVID times soon.
Self Care: Journaling and Reading
Technology has made it more convenient to write notes with word processor tools. It's efficient in terms of having "infinite page space" and can reorganize and modify content easily.
What has got me through is consciousness journaling, where you don't edit or judge yourself while writing. I did it with paper and pencil, expressing myself in both words and physical strength (wrote harder when I was frustrated 😂).
I also took time away from devices and read physical self-help books that allowed me to explore a different perspective. You may be interested to read them too:
Atomic Habits, by James Clear
The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann
Shape Up, by Basecamp
The Courage to Be Disliked, by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
I want to die but I want to eat my tteokbokki, by Sehee, Baek / Hur, Anton (TRN)
Toxic Positivity, by Whitney Goodman
Final Words
With that, I hope the "future me" will be able to reminisce on what I wrote in 2022. And by then, I hope I have developed myself to have compassion and the mental flexibility to continuously develop myself.
To my fellow readers, I wish you a better and greater year ahead. Onwards to 2023!
Cheers 🍻