2023 has come to an end, and this year has seen very few updates. It can be summarized as "a little ambitious in the heart, a little lazy in the body." There is also the issue of efficiency. Looking back, this kind of problem exists every year, and it seems to be repeating the rhythm of the previous year when reviewing. This year, I made some plans intermittently, but I didn't execute them properly. The efficiency of this year is the lowest since graduation. I have been trying to change in the second half of the year, hoping to see improvements this year.
Blog#
In terms of external output, I only updated four articles on the WeChat public account, which can be considered very few. Apart from being busy, there is also a bit of procrastination, which is something I need to continuously improve on. As for other blog platforms, they are basically synchronized with the articles on the WeChat public account. Currently, the platforms that I continue to update are Juejin, Zhihu, and a relatively niche blockchain blog platform called xlog. The articles updated in 2023 are as follows:
- Long time no see
- Detailed Explanation of Android Input Method Process
- Compiling FFmpeg on Windows
- Playing Audio PCM with SDL
In terms of internal output, one is the Daily Reflection every morning. I have recorded it for 138 days. I only record it when I have time in the morning. Below is the statistical chart of the daily reflections in 2023:
I hope to fill in more squares in 24, and the other is the daily learning record. Organizing notes is actually the process of organizing thoughts. Through writing, I can connect scattered knowledge points. It may also be a personal habit. This part will be reflected in future updates.
Technology#
This year, I have experienced some things and observed the development direction of friends in the industry. Compared to before, my concept of being obsessed with technology has weakened a lot, and I have completely changed my mindset. I realized that programming is just a tool. When the concept of looking at things changes, everything will change accordingly. Now I am exploring in a direction that suits me. Since it is a tool, I should make good use of it instead of just using it as a bricklaying tool.
What else should I focus on besides technology? I basically have a clear direction, which tends to be more inclined to explore internally. I must not divide my thinking into seconds for a long time. I must have a holistic thinking consciousness. Pay less attention to fragmented content and try to focus on directions that are similar to my interests. This kind of persistence has natural willpower support, so there is no need to worry about insufficient willpower halfway through. If you want to learn, you should learn it thoroughly instead of just scratching the surface, and truly transform and internalize it into your own skills. The purpose is to avoid the rigidity of thinking caused by a single job as much as possible. Here is an article I recommend: Programmer's Mental Illness (yinwang.org)
Let me briefly mention work. I have long entered the comfort zone, and there is nothing special to say. The intensity of daily work Git commits is not high, but the main workload is still analyzing problems. Here is a screenshot of the Git commit record:
In any case, you must have your own areas of expertise and maintain the ability to leave the platform at any time.
Reading#
For me, reading is a way to calm down and settle my emotions in work and life. Jimmy Ron said, "Emotions either serve you or control you, depending on who is in charge." When you look at it from a higher dimension, it is about whether you are controlling your own brain or your brain is controlling you. The brain is just a tool, not the master. Currently, the only way to quantify reading time is through WeChat Reading. The reading time seems to be a bit short, so I must improve it. As usual, here is a part of the annual report from WeChat Reading:
Life#
In terms of life, I raised a blue cat, which is also the first time I have raised a pet on my own. I bought it on the way home from work in June and named it June. The litter box I bought last year is finally being used. It took about forty days to teach June to use the button for communication. Currently, there are three commands: eating, eating snacks, and playing with me. Here are some photos from different stages:
Tools#
Here, tools refer to personal productivity tools. For me, personal productivity means the ability to manage and improve oneself and convert resources into goals. Currently, the tool I rely on the most is note-taking software, which is mainly used for knowledge management.
In terms of knowledge management, my records are quite fragmented, and I have not fully formed my own productivity. I lack a knowledge accumulation, knowledge transformation into experience, and experience internalization into creativity production system. The things I have read and recorded are not connected. A good note-taking tool can help with personal knowledge management. Youdao Cloud Note only supports rich text for ordinary users, not markdown. In the middle of last year, I tried to switch from Youdao Cloud Note to Obsidian. I plan to gradually record the new content in Obsidian. Obsidian has rich features, and the only drawback is that it requires a self-syncing solution, but this can be easily solved. Obsidian can achieve many functions through its rich plugin system, but it is easy to get caught up in tinkering with Obsidian instead of using it, which seems a bit upside down. I am currently trying to use it.
I upgraded the electronic devices I currently use. I added a 2TB solid-state drive to my laptop and installed Ubuntu as a dual system on top of Win11. I also replaced the battery of the laptop. The battery life of my Xiaomi 10 Pro was not good, but after replacing the battery, it is still usable. I don't have any other special requirements. In addition, I purchased a NAS, the model is Green Union DX4600 Pro. I didn't buy the more popular Synology with higher playability. Currently, I have equipped it with a 4TB hard drive, but I haven't fully utilized it yet. Currently, it only stores some movies, music, and learning materials. I also played around with Docker containers, and I plan to make full use of them in the future and incorporate them into my productivity system as a tool as soon as possible.
Investment#
In terms of fund investment, there have been losses. Although the fundamentals are not good and the overall market is declining, as a participant, I should have had this expectation from the beginning. The things I didn't do well in the practice are as follows:
- The buying position was a bit high, and the chips were slightly expensive.
- The timing and quantity of selling were inappropriate. I didn't sell when I should have or sold too few shares to take profit.
- The allocation of funds was unreasonable, and the allocation of funds that were not used for a long time was unreasonable.
- The number of shares in the money market fund was too small, underestimating the role of the money market fund as a ballast.
The areas where I have made progress are as follows:
- Increased the amount of each purchase and reduced the frequency of operations.
- Started to consciously avoid risks and buy money market funds when uncertain.
- Have a reservoir for taking profit instead of buying new funds later.
- Have a further understanding of risks and will pay more attention to risk control in the future.
Trying to buy funds is a continuous improvement. Your patience, mental energy, and way of looking at problems will also change. The results may not be visible in one or two days or even one or two years. You need to extend the time scale to see them. That's it. Here is the dismal record of annual returns. Currently, I have barely outperformed the market: 
2024#
2024 should be a turning point for myself. I need to clarify the main and branch directions and set feasible goals to execute. I will gradually practice micro-habits and micro-goals. Breakthrough, change, and try will be the keywords for the next period of time.