‘The unexamined life is not worth living’ - that’s a great quote, I don’t know exactly what Socrates original meaning, but I just like its from face value of words literally.

I just come back from the last cycling ride of the year - haven’t been out on a bike for long time, it took around 6 hours to do maybe 50 miles (my phone is dead and didn’t tracked it), it felt so hard on Dundry hill on the way back - I didn’t have energy, even had tiny thought of pushing up (wtf was I thinking!), I was completely tired and felt can faint at anytime for the first time in my life, why am I so weak now - I thought I used be a lot better!

So I thought going to do a review of my 2017 to examined myself. Yes, it will be painful to admit things, but the most important things is to actually learn from them.

What happened - 2017

I quit my job after 7 years at the end of January (maybe 8, I don’t know but its not important), then went to Portugal for 2 weeks, Saw a lot, meet a lot of people and had good fun.

Then I took around 2 months off, the aim was to learn more about stock market because I like it, so I went to library during most of the days to read financial newspapers and investment books etc, during early mornings and evenings I do as many courses about accounting, more than a month in, I was reading all these things and its not actually doing anything useful and taken actions from the reading.

So I was thinking what thing I can learn that will benefit in future, then I decided to start the famous Machine learning course by Andrew Ng, At the begining I treat it like a real - make notes, do all the exercises and try to understand all the Math, I did finish the course and understand all the concepts, after a few weeks later I was thinking that its great to learn all these thing, but I’m not doing anything really useful with them, also seeing the money going out and nothing coming in isn’t very good, so I change the aim again, now I will start make an app and also look for a job.

By the end of April, I started a new job, the reason I chosen the job was because they have a lot of cycling magazines and I think it will be cool to work with something with bikes, after couple weeks in I had an idea and also made it the purpose of staying in this job - Make a live event reporting platform (with focus on cycling at beginning) that’s better than all others out there, so I spent the most of my time after work and weekend doing the that.

Went to New York in August, had a lot of fun and too much drinks (did a lap of central park to ran off my hangover), seeing a little bit of America, compared with China and all the things during my trip, I had a bit feeling I can actually start something and I can make it!

Had my parents over to see me and the flat for the first time, took them to Snowdonia and Lake districts, it was amazing to see them, but was sad to see their grey hairs, I can’t just think all about myself now, even they don’t need me to take care of them for very long time, but I will need to do that one day - need to prepare for it!

Over the last a few months of the year, through people from work and I finally jump into the cryptocurrency bandwagon, I do find the ideas behind it interest and read as much as possible about the technical details, now I can say I understand the concepts - wrote a naive blockchain and very simple Distributed APP (smart contract - its actually really dump, not sure why people call it smart), during the Christmas also Had Alexa skill on Amazon to get and track cryptocurrencies price.

What I need to improve

I need to continue doing the good things, but more importantly I should learn from the mistakes, because the good things will take care themself.

There are many things I need to improve, but I think these are the major ones

Act on the information, don’t just sit there doing nothing

During my time off I read a lots of things and they are very useful, but I have all these information and didn’t act on them! One of the example is HSBC bond, I knew I should buy it but I didn’t and losing one of the most important things - time compound interest. Another example is LISA, its basically free money and I still haven’t done it - what am I doing!

When its raining gold, don’t use teaspoon to catch

After reading all the cryptocurrency technical details, I know there are some intrinsic values in some of them, I read and watch enough about people’s greed and market psychology, I know what direction I should bet, but I was too attached to specific price point and not act on the original idea, instead I was too risk avert and careful. Take too much risk will cause to lose big, but not aggressive won’t make any big money! What is point of getting peanuts.

Deal with bad stuff

When I knew something can potentially be bad, I had the incline to leave it and deal with it later time, then at later time just get push back again. I need to face it and deal with it to avoid paying penalty.

Finish stuff

So many times I had ideas then start building something, but in the end it end up nowhere, why start something if I’m not going to do anything with it! Nothing will ever finish, just need to make it usable and get it out there!

Better use time and be more efficient

Too often I spent far too much time on something that doesn’t move towards the goals, I need to set timer for those things.

Plan first, then code

So many times I started coding first and then go back to the drawing board because the fundamental flaws, it will be a lot better to take a few hours to plan the big picture and then code (at least the general direction is right).

What the future hold - 2018

Future is impacted by the aggregate actions of all the people, so I can do my own part and try to make an impact.

I just got the feeling that 2018 will be pivotal year for me (I’m not sure why).

Here are the goals for next year and its in line with the master plan

Business

I enjoyed helping my app users to solve their problems, it feels good.

As Ben Frankline said ‘write something worth reading or do things worth writing’.

I know I’m not good at writing, but I think I have ideas, energy and hard work to do things.

Get the other half

Human is social animal, we not wire to be alone, also its better to enjoy things with someone.

I been trying hard, but no lucks so far, so I’ll actually make it a goal and actively doing more.

Start option trading

Risk is everywhere. I’m will always be a look for value, but options can teach a lot about risk and life lessons, more importantly I find it fun.

At the start of every day, I should spent a few minutes think about what I can do that day will help me closer to those goals. Obviously not everyday will be good day, but at least I need to make progress most of the time.

Now I have the plan and just need to execute it!