2022, Peace and Joy

In the blink of an eye, this is already the fifth year-end summary. From 2018's "Settling the Original Intention" to 2019's "Walking and Stopping," then to 2020's "Chasing Sparks," and last year's "Self-Rescue Forward." As for this year's keyword, after much contemplation, I've decided to call it "Peace and Joy"!

Peace and joy are not only a summary but more of an expectation.

Work#

The first part of every year's year-end summary is work, and this year is no exception, as it is indeed the area where I have invested the most energy.

This year had a good start at work; I successfully passed the promotion defense at the beginning of the year, achieving the milestone of being promoted to T10 after two and a half years of graduation. I don't know if this duration is unprecedented, but the new company policy has limited the frequency of promotion defenses, so it should be unprecedented in the future.

In last year's year-end summary, the first issue summarized was "weak multi-threaded transaction processing capability." Looking back now, this issue has basically been resolved. In my daily routine this year, there were almost multiple tasks to handle every day. When a new task comes in, I don't handle it immediately; instead, I first note it down and put it in the inbox. After I finish the tasks at hand, I then go to the inbox to prioritize it while also checking if there are any P0 marked items in the inbox. If there are, I switch to handle them immediately; otherwise, I deal with P1 or continue with the tasks at hand.

In short, relying on the inbox and prioritization can solve this problem:

The inbox allows me not to miss any trivial matters, and temporarily putting other tasks into the inbox is also a form of handling; it won't interrupt what I'm currently working on. Frequent task switching is the most significant factor in inefficiency, so the core is to avoid frequent switching as much as possible and maintain focus.
Prioritization facilitates the quick resolution of high-priority tasks, preventing delays in project progress.

This year in Q3, I was fortunate to receive the company's Young Talent Award, and my performance rating was 4+5. Not achieving six consecutive five-star ratings could be considered a step back (laughs). But to be serious, this performance exceeded my expectations because I didn't handle any complex projects this year, and I was also quite dissatisfied with my depth of technical exploration. If I were to answer T11 at this moment, I wouldn't be able to present any projects, so I feel a lack of self-growth this year. At the end of the year, I discussed this issue with my leader and reflected on it; my perspective on problems in daily projects is also limited.

In the projects I handle, regardless of their difficulty or importance, there is always something worth learning. For example, I complained about project A, which I only participated in for coordination work. Although the core technology is in company B's hands, I never considered how I could achieve the same or better project results without relying on company B.

In "Unlocking the Mind," a concept called "experience value mindset" is mentioned, viewing work as a cooperative gaming experience. The greatest value of this mindset is that it gives meaning to all the big and small things in life:

If a task is repetitive and monotonous: that's okay, it can improve my proficiency and make me more adept at using this skill.

If I encounter an unexpected problem: even better, I've triggered a hidden challenge, and there's a new goal to achieve...

If I encounter a predictable problem: that's fine, this is my main task; I practiced hard to overcome it.

If a task is daunting and difficult: fantastic, it can bring me a lot of experience to grow quickly and gain stronger abilities.

If I can think enough and not just be satisfied with completing the tasks at hand, then growth will no longer be limited. I could have done better; this is one of the regrets of this year.

This summer, I mentored a very serious intern and saw a reflection of myself during my internship years. That was in 2018, and it was also the first time I wrote a year-end summary, titled “Settling the Original Intention”. How much of my original intention to learn technology and create products remains now? In moments of confusion, I remind myself from time to time that everything I am doing, everything I am experiencing, and everything I am gaining is not meaningless; they will all become nourishment that will help me face the next level's "BOSS" better in the future.

This year, I learned some knowledge about Chromium and JS engines in my spare time and compiled some articles:

My passion for technology has not diminished, and I have also realized that there is much room for my growth.

In 2023, I hope to remain humble and calm at work, solidifying my technical skills.

Learning#

In this module, I plan to summarize two changes I made this year regarding input and output.

The first change is discovering new ways of input.

This year, I started listening to podcasts and found that podcasts are also a great means of information input. However, I don't listen to many; I only listen to "Business as Usual" and the lively "Jumping into the Rabbit Hole."

Additionally, I realized that my means of acquiring information were not timely and that I was particularly influenced by recommendation algorithms, falling into an information cocoon. For instance, if I forget to open platforms like "Minority" or "Juejin," I miss out on some good articles; the technical public accounts I follow keep pushing the same few articles back and forth. So, I built my own RSS and email subscription system (WJ.16: Personal Information Flow Sharing), which significantly improved the efficiency of information collection and organization, making it one of my most satisfying achievements this year.

The second change is that I started writing a weekly newsletter.

As for why I wanted to write a weekly newsletter, I explained it in detail in WJ.1: Launching, Why Write a Weekly Newsletter, so I won't elaborate here. It's worth mentioning that the newsletter paused for two months in between because I realized that my weekly (non-technical) input was not sufficient, and I didn't have enough time on weekends to organize them into a newsletter, which led to my dissatisfaction with the quality of the topics and writing. Therefore, in the last two months, I adjusted it to a monthly newsletter.

In the future, regardless of whether there are readers, I will continue to write for my future self.

Emotions#

In last year's year-end summary, I mentioned the issue of "easily falling into anxious negative emotions," so one of my goals was to "cultivate my mindset." This year, I focused on emotional management. Below is my mood record for this year, which shows significantly more green compared to previous years.

When encountering certain events, emotions can arise suddenly, and I immediately feel anxious, angry, or sad, but it only lasts for a moment. I understand that at that moment, emotions have overtaken my rationality, and allowing my emotions to vent is inappropriate behavior.

The essence of emotions is a "brain alarm," and I treat it as a guard. When it tells me I should be angry at this moment, I indeed feel the anger immediately. But I also remind myself that emotions are uncontrollable, and venting them at this moment may not solve any problems. I tell this angry guard: "I understand, you can step down. I accept this emotion; now let's calm down and analyze the problem, and later we can slowly digest your anger."

Most of the time, after I finish dealing with that matter or accept reality, the negative emotions dissipate, and there is no lingering need to digest them slowly.

I do not reject the anger or sadness at that moment; I simply accept it.

Additionally, I want to share a method I particularly like: "Whenever I encounter difficulties that I dare not face, I close my eyes and imagine myself as an 80-year-old man, regretting the countless difficulties I once gave up and avoided in life. I tell myself how wonderful it would be to be young again, and then I open my eyes: bang! I am young again!"

Moreover, when reviewing my mood before bed, I also selectively record the beautiful things I encountered today. On one hand, I hope it brings good dreams; on the other hand, I look forward to a better tomorrow. Therefore, this year's mood record has a lot more green, which is a good change.

Diaries indeed need to be recorded truthfully, but isn't it a better thing to selectively ignore trivial and bothersome little matters and remember the more worthwhile beautiful things?

Relationships#

I do not wish to dwell on the past, but this spring's brief romance still brings back only beautiful memories. Now, it has truly become "a fleeting dream."

I hope to continue walking bravely with the cherished feelings from that time.

Life#

This year, I moved to a new home, upgrading from a small place I had lived in for three years to a larger one.

I love the evening glow outside my room window.

I love the little river on my way to work.

This year, I started "planned spending." Previously, I had been keeping track of my expenses for over six years, but I was just mechanically recording them without any control over my spending. At the end of each month, I would look at the summary of my bills and wonder why the numbers were like that. This year, I switched to using "MoneyThings" to record my expenses, setting weekly and monthly spending plans, and I even have a progress bar to visualize my balance control, which has been very useful.

This year, I also bought a small car, the mini F57, inspired by a show. Originally, I had ordered a Tesla in April, thinking it would be convenient to go to Guangzhou during my relationship, but ordering the car felt a bit blind, and I only had a basic awareness of the Tesla brand. I thought following the crowd wouldn't be wrong, so I never canceled the order.

However, after seeing the mini convertible in the show, I was instantly smitten; it was simply the car of my dreams. That night, I learned about the brand's history and models, scheduled a test drive the next day, and after considering it for a whole afternoon, I paid the deposit. I don't know if this counts as impulsive spending, but I don't regret it at all now. It's a very unique, cute little car, and I've never seen another one like it on the street!

By the way, I have many cats at home, and the gloves and puffs are doing very well.

By the way, I still don't have a sun, and I hope to hold on until after the New Year.

Dream Fulfillment#

A lot has happened this year. If we exclude the negative news from society, if I had to summarize this year's keyword, I would give "Dream Fulfillment."

First, Messi fulfilled his dream at the World Cup. From 19 to 35, how many 16-year spans can one have to pursue their dreams?

Then there's Mr. Dai from League of Legends, who had his final dance. For ten years, he chased the championship, going from the least favored fourth seed to defeating the big boss and winning the championship. This is the perfect farewell for an esports player.

And Ash from Pokémon, after the Master Ball, I've been following "Journeys" every Friday night. Ash's 25 years from Pallet Town, from the top 16 in the 1999 Indigo League to the top 8 in the 2002 Johto League, the top 8 in the 2005 Hoenn League, the top 4 in the 2010 Sinnoh League, the top 8 in the 2013 Unova League, and the most regrettable runner-up in the 2016 Kalos League, finally winning the Alola championship in 2019 and then the World Championship this year.

The 25-year journey to championship fulfillment has been filled with plot twists, but Ash has undoubtedly become a Pokémon Master in the hearts of the audience! Ash's story has finally come to an end, and I hope the final "Special Episode" gives him and Pikachu a good conclusion.

PS. When battling Diantha, I really hoped the old Pokémon would return, fulfilling the promise of the world's number one Charizard and the prophecy of climbing to the peak with Greninja. The audience never got to see that! I really don't want the 25-year conclusion to leave any regrets.

PSS. I recommend a video: “The 25 Years of Ash from Pallet Town” 【Ash Pokémon World Championship Final Victory Commemorative MAD】

Lastly, the animation of the National High School Basketball Championship has fulfilled my childhood dream of seeing the matches of Shohoku again.

In this year of dream fulfillment, I wish everyone can also fulfill the dreams of their youth.

Books, Sound, and Film#

If I had to choose the most valuable item I bought this year, it would undoubtedly be the projector! I watched a lot of shows on weekends this year.

Here's a simple list of the shows, movies, and books I've watched this year, most of which I will casually provide a comment or a complaint about.

Series#

《Money Heist》: ★★★★★, I love Spring Horse's smile and the female lead's anti-consumerism.
《Scams》: ★★★★★, I finished the series and all four movies, giving them all 5-star ratings. There are laughs, thrills, and tears; the script is perfect, and Natsuki's performance is outstanding!
《The Woman Who Sells Houses》: ★★★★☆, a very passionate drama; it's great to watch when lacking motivation.
《Zombie Campus》: ★★★★☆, I have no resistance to zombie movies; this one is comparable to "Train to Busan" in every episode. Although it starts strong and ends weak, it's still worth watching.
《Extraordinary Attorney Woo》: ★★★★★, a very warm and healing drama that inexplicably improves my mood. By the way, I was inspired to get the mini F57 from this show; watching Jung Myung-suk enjoy the breeze in the convertible was simply the car of my dreams, so I scheduled a test drive and placed the order the next day.
《The House of the Dead》: ★★★☆☆, I watched it while eating; the soul-switching setup is nice, but the acting is exaggerated, and the plot is mediocre.
《The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate》: ★★★☆☆, it ended poorly.

Movies#

《Wolf Boy》: ★★★★☆
《Moonfall》: ★★★★☆
《Fall》: ★★★☆☆
《Initial D》: ★★★★★
《Before Sunrise》: ★★★★★
《Before Sunset》: ★★★★★
《The Murder of the Innocents》: ★★★★★
《The Best Offer》: ★★★★★, the ending is shocking; definitely don't watch it with the comments on!
《Groundhog Day》: ★★★★★, truly a classic.
《Escape Room 2》: ★★★☆☆, a commercial popcorn movie.
《Memories of Murder》: ★★★★★, the level of Korean cinema is indeed very high.
《Doctor Strange 2》: ★★★★☆, I only watched the trailer, and with the combination of the witch & doctor as two magical IPs, it could have been a movie to turn around the fourth phase, but the final presentation and thematic depth were somewhat lacking. Wanda's character transformation was too abrupt, making one doubt whether the director even watched "WandaVision."
《This Killer Is Not So Calm》: ★★★★☆, I thought it would be a bad movie based on the name, but it was a bit surprising.
《Everything Everywhere All at Once》: ★★★★★, rich imagination paired with bizarre expressiveness, a perfect work.
《A Bouquet of Love》: ★★★★★, a sad movie, but also a liberating one.
《The Crucible》: ★★★★★
《Spider-Man: No Way Home》: ★★★★★, I gave it sentimental points for the three Spider-Men appearing together.
《The Battle at Lake Changjin》: ★★★★☆, I watched it in the cinema with my family during the Spring Festival.
《A Man Called Ove》: ★★★★★, I really like this kind of heartwarming film that depicts everyday life.

Anime#

《Cyberpunk: Edgerunners》: ★★★★★
《Paprika》: ★★★★★, perfect score.
《Perfect Blue》: ★★★★★, perfect score, but I watched it late at night and was a bit scared.
"Summer Reincarnation": ★★★★★, to be honest, the pacing of the animation is a bit strange, and the ending music isn't good; it's not as good as the manga.
《Spy x Family》: ★★★★★, very healing to watch.
《Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc》: ★★★★★, as a manga fan, it has excellent animation while ensuring the plot, truly a perfect work.
《Pokémon Journeys》: ★★★★☆ (only watched after the Master Ball)

Reading#

《Unlocking the Mind》: ★★★★★, worth reading; you can learn a lot.
《The Masked Mountain Villa》: ★★★★☆
《Memory Traveler》: ★★★★☆, great setting, the unfolding of the story is very engaging, but the ending is a bit rushed.
《Who Killed Her》: ★★★★☆
《Silent Tour》: ★★★★☆
《Letters Like Words》: ★★★★☆, the first half is 4 stars, the second half is 2 stars.
《Red Hand》: ★★★★★
《Astrology Murder Magic》: ★★★★★, a classic mystery, I read it slowly and didn't fully understand it; I only grasped the techniques after watching video analyses.
《The Tsukuba Stalker Murder Case》: ★★★★★, a documentary piece; the author is a journalist who works diligently, always holding a ruler named justice in his heart, deserving of respect and learning.
《Malice》: ★★★★★, the narrative trick is well played.
《Praying for the Curtain to Fall》: ★★★★☆
《Paradox 13》: ★★★★☆
《Rescue Plan》: ★★★★☆
"The Biography of Su Dongpo": ★★★★★, "The greatest joy in my life is when I write, and the complex emotions in my heart can all be expressed through my pen. I consider this the greatest joy in life."

Games#

I won't rate the games; since I chose to play through them, it shows they have a certain appeal to me.

《Triangle Strategy》: A feast for tactical RPG enthusiasts, and it's pixel art style; simply fantastic!
《Xenoblade Chronicles 3》: Played for a few hours, found it too grindy, and gave up.
《Pokémon Sword and Shield · Shield》: Completed, but the plot is too poor, and the gyms are too easy. I haven't played the online part yet.
《13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim》: In progress, the story is unfolding slowly, so I won't comment yet.
《Persona 5 Royal》: Undoubtedly the best game in the world; I push through a palace about every two weeks, and I'm currently at the casino.
《Genshin Impact 3.0》: Praise the Dendro Archon!
《Honor of Kings》: I used to play very little, always around platinum and diamond. A few months ago, I started playing a match every day after work, and surprisingly, I had a winning streak and reached the top tier.

New Year Goals#

Finally, here are my New Year goals:

In life: Cultivate a gratitude mindset, interact more with people, and actively establish connections between individuals. (I hardly made any new friends this year.)
In learning: Maintain a curiosity mindset, continue to learn with curiosity, and pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
In work: Maintain a humble mindset, and do not set boundaries for myself while completing projects. Think more, reflect more, practice more, and expand my influence.
In mindset: Maintain a joyful mindset, and be good at discovering and recording the beauty around me, living a poetic life.

Finally, I want to use a quote from "Money Heist" as the conclusion for 2022—“The gentle stream flows endlessly, each drop of water is different, bubbles float on the mud, sometimes dissipating, sometimes forming, and there are no examples of long-lasting existence. The affairs of the world, the resting of birds and beasts, are no different.”

May you, may I, and may those wishes floating in the air ultimately reach the gentle shore.