Progress isn't always linear. It doesn't always come in the form of big concrete achievements. There's a big difference between feeling like I did some things that were failures versus feeling that I myself am a failure.
Read MoreMoving to a new country and transitioning were certainly significant in the overall course of my life, but it's been really difficult to look back at the year and feel like I didn't have a single notable professional accomplishment.
Read MoreI want to make sure that I spend my energy much more carefully going forward, and this means making a deliberate effort to free myself from things that use up fucks without giving me anything in return. I want 2018 to be the year that I set myself free from other people's expectations of what I should be.
Read MoreI hope that talking about my own failures will help make it easier for other people to talk about theirs, to realize that we don't have to be perfect all the time in this industry, or in this world. Trying and failing is still failing, but it's also still trying, and being able to keep trying, even if all you're succeeding at right now is getting out of bed most days, is how we're able to keep fighting to make things better.
Read More2017 is not necessarily going to be an easy year, so I want to focus on the things that I can control, the positive impacts that I can have, and looking for opportunities for cupcakes.
Read MoreI always feel like I still have to do more, still have to prove myself, prove that I'm technical, prove that I'm competent, prove that I belong. I want to see an industry where we can all start supporting each other more, questioning each other less, and working towards a world where more people can feel like they are, in fact, "good enough".
Read MoreIf you're an engineer trying to figure out how to get to senior, look at how well your organization helps people grow. Some environments or teams are much more suited for more experienced people, which doesn't mean that they're inherently bad, but not every place will provide you with the support you need to grow. Learn as much as you can, but don't waste your time in an environment that isn't invested in your growth or in helping you succeed.
Read MoreThis year I wasn't letting anything hold me back, whether that be people who really preferred that I gave less of a shit about the things that were important to me or an apartment whose mysterious plagues sucked up far too much time and energy and money. It was an exhausting year at times, but in a good way, because I was Getting Shit Done.
Read MoreAs it turns out, a bunch of people that I think are really smart and know a lot of things think that I know some things. It becomes logically inconsistent to still think I've got everyone fooled. How could people that are so smart be fooled by someone who doesn't know things?
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