Saturday, December 30, 2017

New Year, New Tradition?

As 2017 comes to a close I realize that I have not really completed my resolutions for this year. I believe my resolutions were to get a job and to be more Hamilton and less Burr. Unfortunately, I did not get a job in 2017, mental health issues got in the way again. For the most part, though I did try to be more Hamilton and less Burr. I took the initiative to teach myself different things and to better myself. Unfortunately, my mental health eventually took a turn again not too far into the year.

On that note, I did go through what is known as T.M.S. or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. What T.M.S. basically was was where they sat me in a chair and sent magnetic pulses to stimulate certain spots in my brain, those spots were responsible for the neurochemicals that were to be released when I'm happy. It basically gave them the push to activate normally. When I was done with T.M.S. and adjusted my medicine to where I felt comfortable and could actually work and participate in day to day life I did start applying to a multitude of positions. I eventually wound up with an interview at a location relatively close to home. The interview went well and they did give me a tour of the facility, however, I was not chosen for the position. They did wind up saying that because the interview went well I should apply again should another position open up. I applied for the assistant position at one of the companies sister locations but I never got an interview, even with the recommendation of the interviewer from the first location. I also got an interview with a location closer to home but unfortunately, I did not have the skills necessary, the position was more hardware oriented and I am a software kind of guy. I've applied for a plethora of different positions and gotten little to no response back this year, which is disheartening.

This year I taught myself the basics of C# and JavaScript. I've begun to program my own projects. I'm wanting to learn Visual Basic and Python. While bettering my skills is all well in good I don't feel that accomplished. So I sat down and came up with ideas for how to feel more accomplished next year. Instead of making a big list of resolutions for 2018, I would make smaller resolutions monthly. Here are some of the ones I came up with for January.

January

  1. Learn the basics of one programming language
    1. Start on the basics of Visual Basic, Python, or a web developmental language
  2. Program for personal projects at least 3 hours a day during the week
    1. Work on Budget Project
    2. Work on Monopoly Project
    3. Work on other ideas
  3. Write more
    1. Try to write either a few chapters or a few short stories
    2. Can be fanfiction or my own ideas I want to write
  4. Read at least 3 books
    1. I read 30 books in 2017, try to read more in 2018
  5. Workout more
    1. Do more morning workouts
      1. Push-ups, Sit-Ups, Punching Bag
  6. Try to run for 10 minutes straight without the support of the treadmill
  7. Adjust sleep
    1. Make a consistent sleep schedule
      1. Go to bed earlier, wake up earlier
      2. Take fewer naps
        1. Try to limit self to 3 naps a week
  8. Apply to at least 20 different positions
I plan on trying to update this blog with my progress, maybe once or twice a week. Most of these resolutions will probably carry over to the next month. I plan on 2-8 being a constant resolution each month. With maybe some updates or changes along the way. For instance, if I move out and get a job I have some ideas for what will change and be added to the list. While I'd like to say I'm confident I can do this I know that to be a lie. So I go into the new year cautiously optimistic. 2017 you've been something else, 2018 you have to be the year I progress.