I thought I would share some of the things I accomplished in 2020, including joining Hashnode! As well as some goals I have set for myself for 2021. I hope some of this can be motivational for others. Enjoy!
2020 Accomplishments
AWS
- I got AWS certified!
- AWS ECS has become my bread and butter
- I setup AWS infrastructure using the AWS CDK in Typescript
Work (9-5)
- I built my public-facing API
- Help develop a platform for a new sports league.
- Started to master Docker
Online Presence
- Started blogging
- Became active on Twitter
Finances
- I was able to achieve a 32% return on my portfolio!
- Upped my 401k contribution from 7% to 8%
- I was able to generate additional income by giving consulting advice on AWS!
Dev Tools
- I switched from using Eclipse to VS Code. This has made me much for efficient but took a few weeks to get comfortable. I highly recommend it.
- I learned how to use VS Code to develop code over SSH on a remote server on AWS. This is useful if you want to develop code on multiple devices and can't always commit all your code at once. It also allows you to easily demo or share your code. Developing code on a remote SSH server is seamless!
- I started using Notion for note-taking and it has been a game-changer!
Personal
- I built a Portfolio website
- I started a personal blog
- Hashnode become my favorite blogging platform
- I ran my first First 10k
- I found a passion for boxed wine
Learned Something New
- Learned .NET for a month
- Learned how to model a relational in a non-relational database (DynamoDb)
2021 Goals
AWS
- AWS cert 2, maybe? I need to weigh either more AWS certs will help me accomplish my goals.
- Start an AWS consulting business
Work (9-5)
- My current role at my company is as a Senior Software Engineer. I would like to position myself to be able to directly generate some type of revenue for my company.
- Take steps to improve me as a team lead and senior software engineer. My goal is to help improve the developers on my team by setting a high bar and mentoring. I want to help them complete tasks that they previously felt uncomfortable with because it was not their strong suit.
Online Presence
- Get 1,000 Twitter followers
- Become more active on LinkedIn and network with like-minded individuals
- Get started on YouTube
Finances
- 1 additional stream of passive income
- Market and sell something
- Bump 401k contribution from 8% to 9%
- Finish a blog series on SOLID programming that will drive an Ebook I can write
Dev tools
- Document design patterns I use on my blog. This serves as a tool to remind me of how to do something and allows me to share it with others.
Personal
- Wake up earlier
- Lift weights again
- Run a half marathon
- Start blogging about personal finances
Learn Something New
- Put up my first YouTube video
- Help my wife become an Amazon affiliate