Robert Luo

Ultimate Choices 2022

Happy New Year, everyone! As we say goodbye to 2022 and welcome in 2023, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year and look ahead into the future. 2022 has been an incredibly productive and transformative year for me, and I wanted to share some of my experiences and insights with you.

I was inspired to write this article by swyx’s learn in public philosophy, which encourages individuals to share their learning journey with others in order to learn more effectively and build a supportive community. I’ve found this approach to be incredibly helpful in my own journey as a software engineer and even in general, and I hope that by sharing my experiences, I can help others who are just starting out or looking to improve their skills.

Self-improvement courses I've taken

One of the things I'm most proud of in 2022 is the progress I've made both in my personal and professional development. Each of these courses helped me better understand myself and I've gained valuable insights and skills that I'm excited to continue to apply into the future.

  • The Science of Well-Being - Think about this. Scientifically studied activities that help build habits to make us happier. How awesome is that?
  • Learning How to Learn - In school, we've never been taught on how to learn, only what to learn. This course helped me learn more efficiently and effectively.
  • Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health - A choose-your-own-adventure learning experience to help take control of your mental wellness. I've gone through the meditation module and loved it and still apply the practices to this day.

Goals for 2023?

One of my main goals is to continue learning and growing as a software engineer. I'm always looking for new opportunities to challenge myself and expand my skillset, and I'm excited to see what the new year has in store in this regard. Here are some other goals I want to achieve.

  • Learn how to juggle 3 balls - I recently learned that juggling creates more white matter in your brain. Plus it's also a great metaphor for life. Because you're always "juggling" so many things.
  • Write about something I've learned - When you teach something, you get to learn it twice.
  • Have 10 songs in my repertoire - I've always been on and off in my guitar playing but I'm making it a regular habit to actually get better at guitar and memorize at least 10 songs to show for it.
  • Read one book a week - Leaders are readers.
  • Continue habit of meditation, working out, cardio - I actually picked up meditation in 2022 due to the learnings from The Science of Well-Being and Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health and am continuing this habit onto 2023.

Writing and sharing

A few topics I have ideas about and would like to write about in the year:

  • Data structures and algorithms
  • JavaScript concepts

Conclusion

I'm not the most creative when it comes to titles so the reasoning for the title is because of this quote: "Life is C between B and D." The life we lead is the CHOICES we make between Birth and Death. I'm excited to see what 2023 has in store and to continue striving towards my goals and aspirations. I hope you'll join me in setting your own goals and making the most of the new year. Here's to a happy, healthy, and productive 2023!