2022 into 2023

Another year complete, another revolution of the Earth around the Sun. Here’s a quick recap of 2022,

This year has been challenging for me because there were many things that I had to figure out and am still figuring out. And a lot of things didn’t go as I had planned.

The year started and in the first month, I was going to the court in my town to see how legal things work. I got to hear some people's cases and to be honest. I was relieved that I don’t have that kind of issue in my life. My issues were like an ant compared to an elephant. Well, it was a great experience. I learned a lot about humanity. I just went there for a month.

We shifted our house

In February, We shifted from the house that I was born in. Shifting a house can be a stressful and emotional experience, as it involves leaving behind familiar surroundings and potentially saying goodbye to friends and neighbors. It is natural to feel a mix of emotions during this process, including excitement, anxiety, and sadness. But, on the positive side, It gave me a fresh start and new surroundings.

I bought my first car

I have been into cars since my childhood. But, I didn’t have any opportunity to drive one. So, the best option to learn driving was buying a car. So, I bought a used 2006 Suzuki Mehran. Mehran is usually the first car for many in Pakistan. And it was the only car that I could afford in my budget. That is why I bought it. Then I learnt how to drive it and got my driver license. It has been an emotional journey for me. And I still enjoy driving it.

Went on a bike trip to Naran

After Eid ul Fitr, my cousin and some of his friends went on a trip to Naran Kaghan on our bikes. I won't go into much detail about the trip here.

I will keep it short. On each bike we were two persons and our luggage. The trip was exhausting, but it was one of a kind experience.

It was my first trip on Bike and to the North of Pakistan. We did outdoor camping near River Indus and Cooked our meal. And returned the next day. Our faces were sunburned and we rested the whole next week. Here are some pictures from the trip

I learned Javascript

Learning Javascript has been on my to-do list for a long time. I tried to learn it two years ago, but left the course in the middle because I wasn’t understanding anything. I think I didn’t had the foundation back than that I have now after designing and building websites for two years. So I started this JavaScript course by Wesbos: JavaScript Beginner.

If you are new to programming I will definitely recommend this course. After completing this course I tried making small projects to put that learning into work. I will share links for some of the projects below.

• Hangman JS
• Keyboard drumkit
• JS Clock

I learned GatsbyJS and built my Website

After learning JavaScript, I started to redesign my website. It took a month of work to finish the design and after that about 2 months to develop it. Because I was new to GatsbyJS and I was developing my website on it. So I learnt it as I developed my Website. Which I think turned out awesome.

I started this blog

I started this blog and wrote articles four times a month and will keep doing it. I wrote 44 articles total this year. You can check them out here.

That totally wraps up what I did this year.

What I didn’t do

Didn’t Earned much

I didn’t earned as much as I had anticipated. There were two reason:

1. I was totally dependent on Fiverr for getting my clients and didn’t know how to get leads directly. Half of my year has been spent figuring it out and I still haven't figured it. And there isn’t anyone in my circle who can mentor me. I tried reaching out to some people but no one replied. But I will keep on figuring it out. If anyone reading this can help me with that I would be thankful and would try to give you as much value as I can provide. You can contact me here.
2. I wasn’t much focused on it. I was mostly distracted by the car I bought. I didn’t work as hard as I was supposed to do.

Didn’t Read that much books

This year I didn’t read as many books as I usually read. The reason being I was distracted most of the time and other times I was focused on earning money. I did read a few good books. I Learned how to write book reviews. Infact wrote a few. If you are interested in reading them click here.

Didn’t had focus any focus on my health

I lost about 6-7 kgs this year. This weight loss is not a good thing as I am already smart. The reason being I have poor eating habits and I don’t exercise. I also suffered from Chicken Pox this year which resulted in 4 kg loss in weight.

Lessons Learnt this year

I know what I want and I will not compromise

I had a very rough patch over the last few months. I was just exhausted from trying to figure out how to get new leads and clients. And I was failing at it. This left the window open for doubt, fear and insecurities to creep in. I felt like a failure, questioning my abilities as well as my dreams. In short, I felt I wasn’t where I wanted to be in my career or, in some regards, my life. I am slowly trying to get back on my feet and trying to feel better each day.

One interesting thing that came out of all my fears, doubts and sadness was that I never once wanted to quit. I never once thought about stopping. I’d be upset and would question myself but I will always end it by saying, “I will not quit, I know this is what I’m meant to do with my life . I have to keep going.” Overall, this difficult experience has taught me that I can trust myself and that I am stronger than I realized.

You never know what someone is going through

This year, I have often had to suppress my negative emotions in social and professional settings, even though I have been feeling stressed, angry, sad, tired, and frustrated. This has made me aware that people can be adept at hiding their struggles when necessary. It has also reminded me that I can't fully understand what others are going through, and that someone's rude or short-tempered behavior may be due to underlying difficulties they are facing. These experiences have reinforced the importance of being kind, patient, and respectful towards others, as small acts of kindness can go a long way.

Things get time

Plans for next year

I would like to share some my plans for year 2023

• Will figure out how to get leads
• Will visit a foreign country
• Will focus on my health and fitness
• Will grow my website design agency

I think these goals are enough for the new year.

Wrapping Up

As we enter a new year, we can expect to face a variety of challenges that may bring fear, doubt, and uncertainty, but also joy, laughter, love, and excitement. Thanks to the lessons I learned this year, I feel more prepared and stronger than ever to handle whatever the future may bring. While this past year has been difficult and filled with unexpected twists and turns, I have learned to be resilient and adaptable.

So, thank you for reading. I appreciate all of your support and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2023 brings. Happy New Year!