Aspirations for 2019
Small ideas on carrying along for the next year
But first, an introspection in to 2018:
What started off as another average year took a turn of events when I woke up and realized the timing passing by. The first quarter of the year I was mostly involved in MAD activities and academics. Then Arya from Rethink Foundation got in touch with me about applying for the Google scholarship and that encouraged me to document my ideas.
The vacation I spent time with Bhairavi and Farha to figure out how to better develop the skill of students at our college via FOSSMEC activities. We tried a pilot program and it took off quite well. I attended 3 hackathons in the summer vacation and that encouraged me to explore technology further.
The next semester Kerala floods happened while I was at Singapore. On returning, things were quite different as the state bonded together closer. The final quarter mostly involved Excel 2018 preparation activities. Academics continued in full swing. I got a lot of ideas for cool side projects and slowly started working towards it.
Overall, it was indeed an engaging year. Sure, it had a lot of inefficiencies but I am glad of how things went and I am even more grateful to know that I can spend 2019 to better develop on these while being at college.
Now, into a few points I would like to take forward in 2019:
- Call someone, every day: We boast of having massive network of so many contacts and acquaintances that we tend to forget how many of them really are connected to you. By trying to call someone each day, I try to take the effort to understand others lives and get a better understanding of where I stand in contrast.
- Code a little every day: Something I have always been putting away. Even if it is just 5 minutes, I would like to maintain a streak of progress investing inn learning technology.
- Read a little every day: In the dying age of books where the movie adaptation meets more gathering, I would like to take a step back and revisit the books. This would help me develop my vocabulary and better express my thoughts.
- Continue TWTW: Looking back I cherish the time that I have had, and wish to continue documenting the happening around me.
- An idea radiated via an article a week: When I write the TWTW, I would like to comprise and collect my thoughts into a sentence, which I will write in a chit and put it in this box (shown below). When 2020 arrives, it will be brimming with nearly 50 ideas to help me sail forward. Besides this, I plan to write article every Tuesday, till December 31st on certain topics.
- Focus with consistency in academics: This might easily be the hardest task. No matter how many times I say I will not repeat that mistake I tend to go in circles and miss out on the real details about why I enrolled into college. So academics will and must get priority in execution.
- Look closer around me: I tend to centralize myself and put my needs before the rest. This has made me maintain a blind eye to others needs and in turn I have not truly understood the lives of others. Must fix that.
- Pursue and implement my ideas: I now have a diary of ideas but it’s contents are empty beyond the title as I left it after conceiving it, without even trying to see how to make it. Instead of outsourcing it, I must take the effort to learn and do on my own. After all, I am an engineer!
- #NewLangWeekends: I wish to spend a few weekends (preferably alternating) to start exploring a programming language from fundamentals. When we explore more we start to appreciate their differences so this challenge will help me get to it.
- #100DaysOfCode: The classic challenge, this time with an actual plan and calendar schedule that takes into account academic schedules and personal plans.
I know I probably won’t succeed in pursuing half of these goals, but putting this out there makes me feel accountable to achieving it and the risk of failing to keep my word should theoretically help me get to it.
*Theoretically*. Fingers crossed.
“Start slowly and maintain traction”
Everyone is an expert planner but only few plan what is achievable. And only few of those actually achieve it.
How does it happen?
They look at ways to better equip themselves to strive for the future. They have a strict routine that helps them move forward and it keeps them moving forward. Maybe there is a lesson over here for us as well.
Thank you all for being curious to read about my aspirations. I wish you a very happy new year 2019. I look forward to seeing you all share ideas as well in the time to come.
