My 2018: Achievements and Failures - Bigger, better and stronger šŸ’Ŗ

The year is running towards its end, every year seems to go faster and faster isnā€™t it?
I canā€™t complain about my year actually, most of the goals I did set for myself where related to my back problems. That story is already well known by you guys here. So Iā€™ll only summarize them shortly

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Achievements and failures, my 2018

Achievements and failures do go hand in hand in my everyday life. Yes I donā€™t mind failing as long as I can keep on smiling. But the main goals I had for myself where 98% body and work related. Sounds boring isnā€™t it?šŸ˜…

The goals I had where getting better, stronger and faster again during the year. Well I think that worked out pretty well but not as good as expected. When I split it to different goals then I could create a list with the things I did achieve and the things I failed.

I discussed last year with my physiotherapist what my main goals where for this year. I told him I would love to run the marathon again and start competition swimming next season. For the marathon he did warn me that October 2018 wasnā€™t an option. But I could be able to achieve 15km again at the end of the year. So we created a schedule what had to be doable during the year. 5km I had to achieve around February and I made it with a swim-run competition, during summer I should be able to run 10km but at the beach not at the streets that part I had to think about somewhere around October. Till there I made it. The failure was the 15km, not there yet the muscles in my back canā€™t hold it that long. Although my goal was by the end of the year, I didnā€™t make it. Iā€™m still around the 10k. Expecting to reach the 15k the first months of the new year.

Red Bull 400

But on the other hand I came across the RB400 challenge around July and created some posts about it 1,2,3,4. I had the discussion with my physiotherapist and he told me that I should just give it a try and see where the party would end. Well I would never dare to dream about the result I managed to reach here I didnā€™t make it to Austria together with Kjeld Nuis. But I survived multiple rounds till the last round where they would choose the candidates for the race itself.

I was allowed to surf a few minutes a day back in 2017. For the 2018 year I was allowed to surf faster and longer. But I couldnā€™t my surfstance changed so there was something wrongā€¦ I did try to find out myself what was wrong but wasnā€™t able to find out myself. So there we had a surf clinic @dboontje and I by Jordy Vonk. The number 4 of the PWA world ranking. This Dutchman find out what my problem was, and it was because my sails where tuned wrong. After a few years not rigging my sails I started doing it wrong because I was so happy to get back on the water again. So first that was a giant failure, but I managed to turn that around with some help in an achievement.

Surfing faster and faster

Last thing I wanted was to compete again in the swimming pool but before Iā€™m able to do this I need to be able to bent forward and grab the block. Well I couldnā€™t, so another thing I needed to achieve during the year. And I made it last week! Too late for the start of the season, and I canā€™t bend forward fast enough for a start procedure, but Iā€™ll get there in the end! For now, I can grab the block again!

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My back, left image after the summer, right image just before the summer. Don't ask how bad it was a year agošŸ™ˆ

A non-body related thing that I achieved was that I got to know you all better and better. I made my first full year at Steemit. And boy what did you guys bring some fun to my life. I started to love writing about my everyday life something I would never expect to happen. Another thing that Steemit made me achieve, is that Iā€™m a proud curator now for the @travelfeed team. Took a while to learn everything. But now Iā€™m there and I donā€™t want to miss those guys anymore (but I do miss the girls we had on the teamā€¦ šŸ˜„ ). From the @travelfeed team, to another another achievement. Last year I mentioned that I would go to the next Steemfest, and voila I was there. Yes I ended up in Krakow and I loved meeting you all.

Steemfest

My biggest failures are work related this year, and the first one is failing my exam for Microsoft 40-714 the day before I left to New Zealand. Afterwards I didnā€™t have the time left from the work at my customer and because of the heatwave. Why didnā€™t I got some time left at my customer? Well originally, weā€™re a team with 10 team members. Two of them donā€™t do the IT related work. The PO and the Scrum-master. The rest of the team is there to get the job done. From the other guys 1 by 1 happened something to them. From multiple heart-attacks till Infectious mononucleosis. The team had a problem and as a team the rest of it acts as a failsafe. I did it too, try to get the job done in the end with only 3 people left. And during my last trip in Croatia I discovered it by myself (lucky me), that I did too much work, made my days too long, my mind couldnā€™t stop thinking about work, work and work. Yes I stepped in the trap so many people step into, being too much in love with the work your doing.

The trip to Slovenia and Croatia, I started a little bit ill, at least I thought so. But while I returned afterwards, I started thinking that the work pressure I had wasnā€™t normal. After my return from Steemfest I did ring the alarm by my manager. I think this will be my biggest victory from last year. I think I would have burned out by the beginning of next year otherwise. So, for now, Iā€™m not allowed to work over-hours. Not there yet that I am able to fit everything in the normal time but Iā€™m getting there. Still hard to let things just crash, Iā€™m not the person to let those things happen. This is the negative side of the freedom I have at my job. No control from a boss at your working hours, which location you work, when you work etc. And I really love my job, but this was a little too much. My customer promised for next year extra people in the team so letā€™s see how that ends.

2019

Canā€™t wait till you start, lot of beautiful things Iā€™m looking forward too. Will you write with me?

  • Running the coastline marathon again in October!
    o But first the 15km during Q1
    o Second the half marathon at the end of Q2
  • Finally compete at a swimming contest again

    source
  • Finish my exam for 70-417 and some other exams so my certificates are leveled with the work Iā€™m doing.
  • Keep my work in 8 hours a day
  • New travel plans, like going back to Iceland, a surftrip with my friends (@dboontje etc), probably Steemfest again and some short trips with the destination unknown plan.
  • My sister is getting married, so she can expect some pranks šŸ˜‡
  • Make Steem bigger better and stronger, with all the Steemians together! šŸ’Ŗ
  • Meet a lot of new Steemians, and old friends again.
  • While reading back, maybe I should learn to summarize things better šŸ™„

But for now, enjoy the special days coming with your loved ones. So Merry Christmas in advance šŸŽ„ and a big thank you for @anomadsoul again for creating a cool contest. šŸ‘

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