2017 Goals
Well, this has been a weird year. I’m sure you’ll remember it fondly. Usually, at this time of year, I like to reflect on the year and thinking of ways I can improve myself.
The year that was 2016
Ok, I’m not going to talk about the obvious rant worthy things. Why? It takes too much energy and to be honest, I’m trying to forget them. What I will say about 2016 is that I have definitely become more comfortable with voicing my opinions. My voice has grown (both tech-wise and in non-tech ways) and fingers crossed it will be louder. It’s simple to say that this year I’ve grown as a person and as a developer.
Also, I’m now a complete JavaScript convert. If you asked me if I’d ever predominately code in JavaScript 14 months ago, I would’ve laughed in your face.
Goals for 2017
Apart from the obvious (continue to be incredible, amazing and fabulous), I do have a few small and attainable techie and non-techie goals for the year. They’re not resolutions, just things that I would like to do in the next 12 months. Ok, that sounds like resolutions. Hopefully, you know what I mean.
Techie Goals
Blog more
I like to write, but I have been an unorganised clutz. This means I haven’t found the time to write. In 2017 I’m aiming to be more organised and schedule the time to blog more. What will I be writing about? I’ll be focussing on coding, my life as a dev and technical writing. But, there’s much more to tech than just those topics.
I’m fortunate that I get to play with new frontend frameworks and tech at work. Next year I’ll be writing about these new frontend technologies and letting you know my opinions. I’ll continue writing about my journey as a developer too. It’s a scary world to enter, but fingers crossed I can be a friendly and relatable voice.
Expect a post once a month. And if you notice that I haven’t posted one, feel free to publicly shame me on twitter lol.
Finish off a couple of personal projects
How many times have you started a project and not completed it? Is your GitHub a cemetery of dead, uncompleted projects? Yep, I know the feeling. Next year I’m going to complete at least two projects that I have started before I start anything new. I know, I know, it’s easier said than done. Especially when you have a notebook of ideas.
What projects do I want to complete?
Recipe Chrome Extension - I’m a foodie and I’ve had in mind to create some sort of recipe chrome extension. Haven’t fleshed out the details (and I’m not going to tell you it either haha), but the repo exists and it will benefit me (and hopefully others too). If you already use one, let me know. I always value other opinions.
Meal Planner app - remember in my first goal I said I’m aiming to be more organised? Fingers crossed this app will help me. Yeah, I can use google spreadsheets or an existing app, but where’s the fun in that?
Afro Kouture - I’m a black woman who proudly wears her natural curls, despite going against the norm of our superficial western society. At times it is frustrating and finding information results in me spending hours upon hours scrolling through Google. This app will hopefully bring the information I need for my natural curls to me and others; and save us from spending hours on Google.
Contribute to more open source software
Like many, I am a frequent user of open source software. Having worked on open source projects in the past I can say it’s not easy. You come home from work tired and the last thing you want to do is pick up an issue in GitHub and solve it. Open source contributors work hard and if I can help, then help I will.
Contributing to open source software doesn’t necessarily mean I will be writing lines and lines of code. I could be writing documentation or reviewing some code.
One open source project I will be working on is Draw My Life. Our little project has expanded a lot over the past six months and I can see it becoming bigger. Next year we will be doing some data visualisation and building a team hub.
We’re always looking for people to help, so if you would like to contribute just holla.
Tweet more
Haha, yes, I plan on being more visible on social media. Do you really need me to tweet more? Of course you do. Plus everyone loves gifs. Expect more tweets, more gifs and more all round Tanya-ness. Condensed into 140 characters.
Non-techie Goals
I realised this year it is VERY important to have me time and have a balance between tech stuff and non-tech stuff. I’ve neglected other aspects of my personality and have become mentally exhausted. I need my chill time, friends and family time, and other fun activity time.
Cooking more and Kitchen Diva
I’ve got a Pinterest board full of recipes to try out and I can’t wait. Some people hate cooking. Not me, I love it. I find it relaxing, therapeutic and creative. I’m starting to sound like a broken record but, with organisation and my meal planner app I’ll definitely find time to do it.
To keep me motivated I’ve even started a foodie instagram account - Eating with Tanya. Just like with my blogging I need accountability buddies. If you notice I haven’t been posting, I’m giving you permission to publicly shame me.
What are your plans for 2017? I’d love to know, so why not tweet me 😊