New Year, Same Imposter, New Goals
- my first full calendar year as an actual professional. not a student, not an intern. a real employee.
time to set some intentions.
the work goals
1. stop feeling like a fraud okay this is aspirational. realistically: feel like less of a fraud. grow into my role.
2. contribute something meaningful i want to look back at 2025 and point to work that mattered. code that shipped. research that helped.
3. develop an area of expertise right now i'm a generalist, learning everything. by end of year, i want to be the person people come to for something specific.
4. write more internal docs, blog posts, whatever. writing clarifies thinking.
the personal goals
1. make deeper friendships in san francisco i have acquaintances. i want actual close friends here.
2. stay connected to home regular calls with family. maybe a trip back to sydney mid-year.
3. take care of my body the tech worker stereotype of sitting all day is real. need to counter it.
4. explore san francisco more i've been here six months and mostly just know my apartment, the office, and one grocery store.
what i learned from last year's goals
looking at what i hoped for in 2024:
- get an internship or job ā (beyond wildest dreams)
- finish thesis ā
- "figure out what i want" ā (kind of)
when you write goals down, you're more likely to achieve them. or at least, you notice when you do.
the meta-goal
be present. this is an incredible time in an incredible field at an incredible company.
it would be easy to always focus on the next thing. the next project. the next milestone.
but i should also notice this thing. the thing i'm living right now.
what 2025 might bring
the AI space is moving fast. who knows what we'll ship this year. what the landscape will look like in december.
probably: more capable models. more agent features. more debates about safety.
definitely: me, trying my best to contribute to something worthwhile.
wrote "2025" with a straight face. wild that we're living in the future.