A quick overview of what I want to do with my life in 2019
Questions? Comments? Twitter discussion here: https://twitter.com/h0nkyc41/status/1090751831133679616
I have a method for learning new things. I've always been a heavy reader and that is how I learn.
I realize there are better ways to learn but I feel that just picking a book and completing the exercises within helps me avoid decision fatigue and makes sure I am learning from sources that have at LEAST been reviewed by an editor.
I find learning things from first principles better than fumbling around trying to find my own path.
I've not worked out my goals yet but I do have a nice reading list.
Have a book recommendation for me? Add it through the form at the bottom of this page!
Last year I read around 30 books, which was VERY POOR in my opinion. This year I want to read 10 books a month at least. So far I have succeeded with my January goal.
I have a long reading list and a nice pile of tsundoku to look forward to!
I'm turning 30 this year. I have always wanted to be a game developer.
I studied computer science in college with the intention of graduating and taking a game dev job.
One of my core values is valuing other people's advice and opinions. Because of this, I listened to the people around me when they told me that going into game dev is youthful folly. They were probably right: I live a pretty amazing life right now.
But, I've not been able to get that monkey off my back. I still love video games and I want to be more creative. I think now that I am older, more secure financially, more mentally stable, a and a teeny bit wiser, I can start to think about taking a risk and going into game dev.
And to put it in a bit more pragmatic terms: I think my web dev gig is great, but I think experience developing low-level, real-time, graphically intense applications is going to be what's going to look good on my CV next.
It will be a WHILE before I make this leap, but I think it's a good goal to aim for going into the next year.
I have chosen to use the Unreal engine because I like C++ and macros.
Specifically, I am going to read:
To put it gently: I'm rusty at this stuff! It's been almost a decade! I need to brush up if I want to be taken seriously.
Mathematics, specifically reading and doing exercise in the books:
I am a software developer currently, but there is always room to improve.
IMO if we could get most software developers to read one book a year our industry would be a lot better off.
Pro-tip: Safari books online has a HUGE library. Easily worth the $30/mo.
Reading list:
I LOVE RUSTLANG. It's elegant, it's fast, it's POWERFUL. It's everything good and artful about software development in a great package.
Reading list:
I'm a sucker for a new coat of paint over an existing, mature ecosystem.
ReasonML is exciting. It lets me side-step javascript while still being able to use its great tooling, especially ReactJS. It looks promising for back-end development as well. Oni2 and Revery look like the native application toolkit people have been looking for a long time.
Hard to have a reading list for this one, since it is so new. And of ALL of my goals, this is the one I probably will not get to.
For the last few years, I have shunned social media.
Now I think it would behoove me to nurture a social media presence and establish myself as an expert in a few domains. I already write a LOT at work for internal documentation so I just have to apply it to topics I'm interested in.
( Small plug: my blog is cresten.pizza if you are ever bored! )
Any recommendations for books in this space would be greatly appreciated!
I keep reading it's good for me and a lot of people I admire do it.
Reading list:
Nothing fancy, just making food from a cookbook a few times a week. I'm not terrible at this I just want to improve.
The overwhelming amount of evidence that suggests the best path to successful aging is regular weight training. [0][1][3][4]
The verdict is in, there is no more debate: REGULAR WEIGHT TRAINING IS A REQUIRED PART OF BEING A HEALTHY ADULT. My quality of life on this earth will be massively better if I form a regular habit, and constantly make time for weight training and exercise.
Weight training prevents bone density loss and muscle atrophy. It promotes good blood pressure and weight loss. People find muscular bodies attractive.