2024 - Year of Wonder Review

If you want to find out what I wanted to accomplish, feel free to go out and read the original post. Hopefully it will shed some light on the ambitions I had towards the beginning of this yearly theme.

How did it really go?

To be honest, pretty good. Did I get as much done as I would have liked, no. There were a pile of must do items that piled up. But there were some things that I got to do that were just for fun. Mainly during my reCharge I found many projects that were just extra. Not that they were glamorous, but they were what I wanted to do and my wife wanted to do. Things that made this new property feel like home vs just a new house. Its been a lot of work, but its the little things that as I look around, I’m more at peace with what all is in place.

I’ve also kicked off several projects out of a newly built out shop. The great things about shops is when you get a blank sheet of paper, you can make it whatever you want. It has insulation, walls, cabinets, some work spaces, more organization, and some projects (mostly in a “work in progress” state) that have been more about play than work.

We got away as a family as well. We went to Disney, spent time on the beach, and just enjoyed being a family. Was it all fun and excitement, absolutely not. The boys got exhausted along the way, but they still had a ton of fun. We all did. And that was part of the goal. I wonder if we could actually do it and we did. With some lessons learned for next years trip.

While the career isn’t where I would like it to be, I’ve found myself making a hard stop at the end of the work day. Focus modes and muted notifications have really helped out in that category. But some of the frustration remained even as we close out the year. When you are a high achieving individual for 7+ years but stuck at the same level, the message is pretty clear. This is why I’m actively looking within the company for new positions and I will start to entertain new opportunities outside in 2025. If you are looking for someone that understands how to run highly effective engineering teams at scale, hit me up on LinkedIn.

Do you consider it a success?

Overall, yes. There were times when I felt like I lost my way. But maybe that is what I needed. Wonder can have many meanings after all.

I’m excited for what is in store for next year. I’m not sure if I will make a change at the career, but I’m certainly not going to turn down the conversations. I know that at this point in my career, I’m comfortable and having that strong work / life balance is very important to me.

Here’s to us all having a Happy New Year!