I did start 2023 with no plans. This was intentional. I usually make big plans at the beginning of the year and then try to fulfill them during the year, but this time I wanted to try something else.
Sufficient to say, I did not like it. For most of the year, I wasn't sure what to focus on. I suppose I’m the kind of guy that likes to set goals and then keep chasing them.
Fitness & Health
Since I moved away from hilly Innsbruck to Vienna, my workout routines have changed. Gone are the hours of trail running. Nowadays, I spend most of my workout time with triathlon-like sports (running, swimming, biking) on flat surfaces. I miss the hills.
In 2023, my top workout was surprisingly walking. Vienna is a huge city and very walkable. So with my partner, we spend a lot of time just exploring around. It wasn’t that unusual to go for a 4-hour walk to Ikea and back. And living next to Prater (one of the largest city parks in Europe) definitely contributed to that.
Some fitness stats from my Apple Watch
- 872 workouts
- 572 hours spent working out
- 1652km walking
- 2452km cycling
- 383km running
- 157km hiking
- 27h yoga
- 16km swimming
- 16h functional strength training
Reading
I read a little bit less than I usually do in a year. I also dropped more books than usual and spent instead reading saved articles in my Readwise.
Books that I finished
- Sport je bolest (Sport is Pain)
- Debugging CSS
- Průvodce pro pasivní investování (Passive investment guide)
- Staff Engineers Path
- Building a Second Brain (my notes here)
- Spare (By Prince Harry)
- Klima je příležitost (Climate is an opportunity)
- Ekonomické bubliny (Economic bubbles)
Listening
As usual, I spent a lot of time listening to podcasts. It’s my favorite way to fill out travel time.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any stats, since Apple Podcast’s app does not give me any. But in general, I listen to 1-2 podcasts per day (mostly 1-hour episodes).
Writing
I managed to write 9 articles and make 1 book note. In terms of writing, it’s been my best year. Given that I did not have any specific goals - I take it.
Social Networks
Apart from blogging, I also spent some time on Mastodon. It’s been a refreshing year when it comes to social networks. Mastodon is quite a unique place with a very niche audience. And I like that. With 293 posts in a year, I’ve been active there more than I ever was on Twitter.
Programming & Career
This year was intense. The AI managed to put everything upside down. Lokalise had a second round of layoffs, but I was one of the lucky ones who survived. It’s been 2,5 years since I joined, and it feels like I worked at 5 different companies. I guess that’s normal when you join a startup?
Luckily enough, I also got the opportunity to work on a brand new UI experience. As a FE engineer, this was a dream come true.
I got to lead more projects, do more research, organize work for others, set clear goals, and think about strategy. It’s definitely one of the level-up moments in my career. I’m grateful for this opportunity.
Other memorable experiences
One of the most memorable experiences of this year was my brother’s wedding. As a best man, I was put into a position to deliver a kick-ass best man speech. I usually don’t do much public speaking, but I could not say no to this once (hopefully) in a lifetime opportunity.
Another thing I will remember 2023 for, is that it's the year I moved out of Austria. After 7 years, I decided to make some changes. Why? Well, that would be for another blog post. Ping me if you're interested to hear more.
Plans for 2024
My plans for the upcoming year are still in development. But I already know that I would like to keep writing, travel a bit more (nomad style), spend a bit more time indie hacking, and most importantly just have fun!
Happy 2024 everyone!