All about 2023: Minor inconveniences of a privileged life

4 min readDec 31, 2023

As the year comes to an end, I find myself engaged in a familiar ritual.

Every 31st of December is reserved for a time where I sit and reflect on what went by.

BTW, Last night, as I lay in bed, it struck me that despite the struggles of the year, many were minor inconveniences of a privileged life.

Ah, what an epiphany. 🤣

Here are a few events that happened in no particular order:

On and Off Focus on Health

The year started with a commitment to health as I enrolled in a 6-week Weight Reduction program, in Jan. I managed to shed about 4 KGs, but soon after returning to my regular routine, the weight crept back.

However, in the last few months of 2023, I reached my peak weight of 70 KGs. If you have been in a situation, you would know how hard it is to get rid of that stubborn belly fat.

The silver lining? A month and a half ago, I began weight training at the gym with a personal trainer. My weight has stabilized, and I’ve become more muscular.

Interestingly, I look forward to my gym sessions now.

I have been able to lift more weights and proud that I have been able to do a 100 KG deadlift despite having a broken back.

I’m hopeful that this time, my fitness journey will be sustainable. Looking forward to 2024.

Work Struggles:

This year reinforced my belief that:

Most problems, especially in a work environment, are people problems.

I was tasked with managing a new team in the second quarter of this year, and boy o boy, I faced significant challenges, felt like an imposter, and was overly critical of myself while striving for the best team output.

Unfortunately, it didn’t go quite as planned and I could have done better:

Upon reflection, I recognize areas for improvement:

Clarifying expectations with management
Allowing time for transition
Seeking support sooner

Despite the struggles, I’m grateful for the opportunity and the trust placed in me by the management.

After all, you only learn to swim by getting into the water.

Personal Front:

This year, I faced some challenges in my personal life and later on came to realise that all of it is part of being an adult. I used to feel agitated as why do “I” have to face all of this but no, a lot of us have to and probably that’s what big life decisions bring, a lot of turmoil before the dust settles.

and that’s what made me come at ease.

Also, my father retired this year. After 35 years of giving it to the Tourism and Hospitality industry, he retired.

Side quests & back to code:

When I look back, a lot of the side projects are random shots in the dark and as the fate would have, none of it worked according to our expectations, maybe because we didn’t put as much effort as these would require.

But amidst the conflict, I found a resurgence in my passion for coding.

Believing that those who can build applications hold a superpower in this era, I was inspired by ChatGPT to dive back into development.

Github activity this year. Manifesting more greens in 2024

I launched:

An improved version of “Easy Bookmarks”
Scrnly.com with a friend
An SEO project, which has started to gain some traction.
And another project is already underway.

Looking to take this momentum to next year.

DesignUp

I volunteered for DesignUp this year as well and it went amazingly well. I love being part of an event of this scale.

And the Biggest News of the Year:

Dobby is a free elf now!

As of this writing, I have left my job. My last day was December 29th.

To those inquiring about my next steps, I quip, “The plan is to have no plans.”

This transition couldn’t have come at a better time; I feel calmer and more equipped to take matters into my own hands.

The idea is to use this time to refresh, prepare yourself for the next 5 years of your life and build something of my own.

All the best to meeeee.

Looking Forward:

As I bid farewell to this year, I manifest a healthy and fulfilling life for myself and everyone. My main priorities for the coming year are:

Health: Achieving and maintaining the best shape of my life
Work: Building distribution and creating digital products
Relationships: Seeking resolution and happiness

Here’s wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year!

Social Media, Blogs, and Projects

Even though I don’t find meaning in these numbers anymore as they are more like vanity numbers for now and don’t pay my bills but will continue the tradition:

UXSprout