This post is inspired by the Virtual Coffee Monthly Challenge and our first #discuss post.

This is not the year that I thought it would be. It's been bad, worse, better, and pretty good-all in that order. After facing a lot of unexpecteds in the last year, it's been hard to set goals and try to achieve anything long term. I've been disappointed, excited, motivated, and sad along the way. In a lot of ways it's been exhausting, but I think I'm moving into a place I really like.

The year didn't start off on the best note. I was unexpectedly laid off, and it hit me hard. Living in uncertainty isn't really my strength. But having that space between jobs did make me realize just how burnt out and exhausted I had become, constantly feeling blocked and unable to make any real progress.

On top of that, the depression from the previous year carried over into the first couple of months of 2023. I struggled with motivation, and it was really hard for me to admit because, as a mom, I'm used to taking care of everyone else. It's challenging to try to take time to take care of yourself when there are so many people depending on you. On top of that, I fell into some bad habits as I tried to cope with it all. Luckily, the last few months have been a turning point. My mental health is in a much better place today, and my motivation is back. I didn't realize how much I'd missed that motivation.

As I navigated these personal challenges, professionally things took an unexpected and exciting turn. I found myself at OpenSauced, working in Developer Experience (DevEx), and it's been really, really good for me. I think I thrive in early-stage startups and small teams. I love how DevEx is a blend of Developer Relations (DevRel) and Community Experience. It feels like home. The autonomy to pursue different initiatives and explore approaches to support the open-source community has been really energizing. Professionally, I'm right where I want to be, even though I didn't even know this was where I wanted to be 🤪

There's still a lot of improvement I'd like to see for myself. My goal is to write creatively for at least 15 minutes every day. Now, I know it doesn't sound like much, but by the end of the day, I'm usually so tired, and I've already written so much for work that it's hard to find the energy. It's something I need to work on consistently, though, because creative writing brings me joy and lets me be a different person.

Sometimes, I feel like there's just not enough time in the day. But here's the funny thing: I've heard from multiple people that if we magically added more hours, I'd somehow find a way to fill them too. I guess that's just part of who I am: I'd do all the things, all the time if I can. But I'm learning to accept that I can't do it all at once. I'm learning to prioritize, make conscious choices, and make sure my time is spent on activities that align with my values and goals.

I like where I am, but I'm always working to refine, do more, and be a better person for the people around me. How's your half a year been?