2018/03 - 2018 Goals and a 2017 Retrospective

2018 didn't take long to arrive, after a preeeeeetty productive 2017. The only goals I didn't manage to hit were:

1. Reading Head First Design Patterns
2. Reading the Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding
3. Some weightlifting goals for my squat and deadlift
4. Actually getting the OCA certificate

I decided to rectify the lack of reading productivity with a 2018 goal... One pomodoro a day! So far I have finished Scala For The Impatient and am working on Crack The Coding Interview. My undergrad did not cover as many Computer Science concepts as I would have liked, so CTCI will be a welcome addition to my toolset. My weightlifting goals could not be helped because, as I am a pretty tall and kinda skinny dude, my back just isn't meant to lift heavy weight from the ground that easily. I also have a pretty weak core according to my physio, so I am currently seeing what other exercises I can do to strengthen my back before continuing with this honestly vain endeavour. The OCA exam slipped by the wayside as I ran out of training days in work, which I should be able to rectify this year.

In more positive news, here is what went well:

• Read a bunch of books.
• Finished TWO games, one of which is actually pretty great with actual graphics! Encroaching Death is currently unpublished on the Play Store (again) due to problems with the VR SDK. Vuforia need money, but it turns out that registering for VAT in Ireland is an absolute PITB, so I have elected to simply buy a new phone with the 500 euros that would  have otherwise been spent on a Vuforia license. A new phone with the AMAZING ARCORE TECHNOLOGY that will replace Vuforia for this game.
• Mostly finished this website. I still have to sort out the digital certificate for this website and tie up a few messy bits and pieces. I mean it's basically sorta kinda finished. 
• Upper-body strength is as good as ever. I also managed to pick up running, which is great for keeping your mind clear in the office!

So, things are shaping up pretty nicely one might say. What goals should 2018 hit then? So far I am going with:

General:

• Re-release Encroaching Death 360 with ARCore.
• Add chapters 4 and 5 to Rotten Alive.
• Complete the Scala Coursera course.
• Start a non-videogame project. Something that is honestly boring, serious, and actually useful in a non-entertaining format.
• 180KG Rack Pull (These are much easier than deadlifts).
• 140KG Squat.

Books:

• One pomodoro every day (25 minutes of un-interrupted study. So far this is going very well)
• Scala For The Impatient (Finished 15/2/18)
• Crack The Coding Interivew
• Java Concurrency in Practice
• Head First Design Patterns
• The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding

I've learned that goal-setting is not as effective as system-building. By that I mean that doing something consistently every day to reach a goal, even if it is a small amount of effort, is a much better predictor of hitting that goal than simply going all-out on one task at a time. Let's see how doing one pomodoro every single day pans out! I also originally planned to start a YouTube channel this year, but I honestly have far too much to do already. If I manage to get everything done before the end of the year, I'll likely start one. I am absolutely not going to underestimate the time it takes to finish/work on a side project, so that's a big if.

Happy 2018 folks!

Marc