Ten Months Later

I started this year with a post about how I wanted to use my time. I had grand plans: daily 1000-word writing sessions, complex technical projects, citizen science initiatives, and a meticulously planned weekly schedule with 30 hours of personal project time.

I have not spent my time the way I planned.

But here's what actually happened:

My family is thriving. My first baby is TWO and incredible. We've got a second (and final) baby on the way. My two-year-old boy is my pride and joy - watching him learn and grow has been the highlight of my year.

My career advanced. I got promoted to Senior Site ReliabilityEngineer with an incredible raise. I've become someone my colleagues look to for strategy and planning guidance. My decade of experience is paying off in ways I couldn't have imagined.

We shipped a game. The launch went smoothly! After years of development, we delivered something people play and I am proud of myself and my team for the hard work we did.

I built tools that work for me. Instead of forcing myself into someone else's productivity system, I built a static site generator that fits exactly how I think and work. I replaced Hugo with 845 lines of Go that I understand completely.

What I Didn't Do (And That's Fine)

I didn't write 1000 words daily. I didn't follow my elaborate Gantt chart schedule. I didn't complete most of the technical projects I planned. I didn't become a citizen scientist or build complex simulations.

But I maintained priorities that let me feel proud at the end of each day. My family is happy and cared for. My job is stable and successful. My household runs, even if not always smoothly.

The Realization

I spent so much energy at the start of the year trying to optimize every hour, to turn my natural curiosity into a productivity machine. I wanted to convert my obsessive energy into "meaningful output" with specific deliverables.

What I actually learned is that I've used my time well - just not in the ways I originally measured.

I've learned and enjoyed and relaxed. I've shipped a game and earned a promotion. I've watched my son grow from a baby into a little person with opinions and jokes and favorite things. I've supported my wife through pregnancy while building a career I'm proud of.

Enjoying the Passage of Time

The most important lesson from these ten months? I'm focused on ENJOYING THE PASSAGE OF TIME. Proving that to the internet comes secondary.

My original plan was built on this idea that I needed to "deliver" constantly - to have tangible outcomes for every interest, to share everything publicly, to build a "legacy" beyond just being a good father and husband and engineer.

But watching my son learn to speak, seeing my wife's excitement about our growing family, feeling the satisfaction of solving real problems at work, building strong relationships with colleagues in all stages of their careers - these are the actual meaningful outcomes. These are the deliverables that matter.

Moving Forward

I'm thankful for the state of things. I'm trying to be more realistic with my expectations for myself and my hobbies.

Maybe I'll write more consistently. Maybe I'll build that solar system simulation. Maybe I'll finally learn C properly. But these things will happen when they happen, not because I've optimized my schedule to force them into existence.

The obsession with productivity and delivery that drove my January post has softened into something more sustainable: curiosity without pressure, learning without deadlines, building without needing to prove anything to anyone.

I've used my time well. Not according to the plan I made in January, but according to what actually matters. And that's more than enough.