Two years ago today, I was likely working a double-shift at a call center in Columbus, Ohio. The first half would have been providing internal IT support for the center- everything from basic hardware maintenance (“Your computer turned off because you kicked it so hard the power cord came out”) to building custom scripts for the varied clients, to helping maintain some of the physical server infrastructure that we kept in house. The second shift would have been on the boards themselves, taking calls, likely overnight, thanks to the unlimited OT policy at the time.

It worked out well for me, though my time at that call center really pushed me past the breaking point every once in a while- you know, a few times a week. Two years ago today, I would be knee-deep in the remote, part-time portion of the code school I was planning to attend with the hopes that it would help transform my professional life into something more satisfying and fiscally solvent. I would have rarely seen my friends during that time, but many of the wonderful people in my life supported me endlessly- treating me to Chipotle, buying me a few beers, and pushing me to continue working my ass off to get where I wanted to be.

Now

Now, two years later, I feel that the emotions and stresses of 2015 are so distant and foggy that I can barely remember the personal cost of those challenges- it’s easy to forget the pain because the outcome has been so positive. I am thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to not only change my career entirely, but also continue moving forward and growing as an individual and as a professional. 2017 looks to be a challenging year, but one with an enormous potential for the success I desire.

I’ve set a few goals to take me where I want to be over the next [arbitrary unit of time]:

  • Debt-free by 30 (October of this year)
  • Establish a process for taking on private contract work as a developer and have at least two successful contracts
  • Continue focusing on my physical, mental, and fiscal health be exercising and eating healthily on a regular basis
  • Spend time giving back to causes that I care about by taking a leadership role in a local volunteer organization
  • Read a book every two weeks
  • Watch a new movie every two weeks

Goals are always arbitrary, but I find I do best with some concept of metrics assigned to my goals. There’s not much of a rush for anything, and there’s no desperate need to accomplish any one of these particular things by some arbitrary deadline, but I hope to report positively on the development of the above list over the next [arbitrary unit of time].

Thanks to all who have helped, bolstered, assisted, or confided in me. I’m looking forward to the next steps.