Always at new Year

Hey guys, how are you doing?

How do you feel when a new year comes, as a tech person?

We have passed a lot of struggles — from writing the first "Hello World" in C++ to knowing everything it takes to make something work. From understanding the concept of loops and if conditions to memorizing their syntax. We have passed a lot to run our first calculator, then to struggle to build our first project, then to select a tech stack, then to learn web development and some backend. To run our first database and connect it with our application. We have passed through a lot.

I have a habit of recording a video on the last pagumen day of the year, of what I should achieve on the exact same day after one year. And I record a video as if I am in that day, saying the words in past tense. This makes me feel I have some plan over the year.

Actually, it's a common thing in a new year to have a plan, to hold some pains of the past year, and to prepare for a new challenge. Some years may be good and some may not. And we prepare to go through the same year again with different plans and a different mentality.

But as a tech person, it is a little bit different. We have passed a lot of days and nights staring at a screen. Sleeping and waking up thinking about a bug in our work. So what shall we plan beyond this? What should our next goal be?

I love my work more than anything. I love being a programmer. And I enjoy working late nights. But when I think about the future and life balance, it starts to worry me. Most of us programmers are weak in social life, family communication, spirituality, and some other stuff. And I fear we might lose our happiness after some time. So we need to plan this year differently. Not differently — but with some additional things.

As obvious, most of us are singles. Start to have a girlfriend. Start to make new friends. Try to call your family and talk for more minutes. Try to join some communities. I believe in life balance. If we can't make all things go together, we may regret it one day. So let us plant this year with these spices added to it.

Because here's what I've learned: code compiles, but life doesn't wait. You can refactor a function a hundred times, but you can't refactor the years you spent ignoring the people who love you. You can debug a program all night, but you can't debug a relationship you never watered.

So this year, let's be brave in a different way:

• Send the message. To your mom, your old friend, the person you keep meaning to check on.
• Close the laptop. Not forever — just for dinner. Just for a walk. Just for a real conversation.
• Say yes to the invite. The coffee, the community meetup. Your code will still be there when you get back.
• Take care of the coder, not just the code. Sleep. Eat well. Pray, meditate, breathe — whatever feeds your spirit. You are not a machine, even if you think like one.
• Love out loud. If you're single and you want someone, don't wait for the perfect moment. Moments are made, not found.

We spend so much time optimizing performance, reducing load time, cleaning up code — let's optimize our lives too. Let's reduce the load we carry alone. Let's clean up the habits that keep us isolated. Let's make our days run smoother, not just our programs.

So yes — plan your tech goals. Learn that new framework. Build that project. Land that job. But also plan your life goals. Plan to be present. Plan to be kind. Plan to be human.

Thank you for being here. Big love. ❤️