2022 was a weird year. For me, it can be defined as…boring. I'm fairly new to being a software engineer, so I don't expect to enlighten you. But, I do hope someone can learn from my mistakes. I'll go over from getting frustrated to getting comfortable to going full panic mode, to finally have a little hope for the future. Disclaimer: I’m leaving my employment very vague. So, a story for another day when the time is right.

Frustration Management 😖

Starting in 2022 I had been part of a project for 5 months. At the time, I was a contractor. At first, it was a bit difficult to get used to that new experience. I had issues communicating with the team, one of the many cons of working remotely and with people in other time zones. This led to the point where I would get extremely frustrated. But starting the year, my team and I found a common ground. Having a big issue solved, the job started to get a bit better and I started to get used to the project. However, I wasn’t enjoying it.

Getting Too Comfortable 🛌

So, let's fast-forward to around March. I had grown extremely comfortable on the job. Might be the reason I was kicked out of the project. I was told that the project was ramping down, but I always had the feeling that it was because I wasn’t giving my 100% + effort. But at the same time, I felt a bit relieved. Because if I am being honest, I wasn’t enjoying the project. Waking at 2 am for meetings to then waking up a few hours later was not fun.

So what did I do for the rest of the year? Nothing. Looking back at it, I could have done so many things. Keep learning new tech, prepping for interviews, creating cool stuff, or just trying to escape the endless inferno of tutorial hell. I did try to stay productive and stay up to date, but that didn't last long. Instead, I just played video games and watch TV. I guess I was too comfortable because I was still being paid.

Panic Mode Activated ⛔️

It’s a bit funny that when I started to catch up on development stuff, I was immediately released from the company I was a contractor. To give a bit of context, I was employed by a company in which I would be a contractor for their clients. I was picked up by one of their clients to start a project. That client was a company that provides services to different industries, offering software solutions. So, the one who released me was a client of the company I was employed. But why all the panic, I still had a job, right? Well, going back to my employer, my pay decreased by about 90% (thanks ADP for making that calculation). And when you need to pay rent, then that could be a problem. It was difficult, but luckily I had a couple of things on the back burner ready to pull off. So panic mode turned into let's chill out and get back to work. When I was trying to be productive, I did some things, and at least that paid off.

Looking Forward to the Future 🌅

In retrospect, 2022 wasn’t very fulfilling for me. There was a lot of stuff I could have avoided if I just had worked harder. By not doing that, then I could have stayed productive and not gotten too comfortable. And by not doing that, it was too late for me to fix my mistakes. Luckily, I had a couple of things to save me from doom. And I’m in a better place now. I enjoy what I’m currently doing and each morning I’m motivated to tackle the day. I don’t regret the choices I made. It all led to where I’m currently at. Also, I'm making sure to not commit the same mistakes twice.

#DevRetro2022