My 2018: Achievements and Failures - Bigger, better and stronger 💪

The year is running towards its end, every year seems to go faster and faster isn’t it?
I can’t complain about my year actually, most of the goals I did set for myself where related to my back problems. That story is already well known by you guys here. So I’ll only summarize them shortly

Achievements and failures, my 2018

Achievements and failures do go hand in hand in my everyday life. Yes I don’t mind failing as long as I can keep on smiling. But the main goals I had for myself where 98% body and work related. Sounds boring isn’t it?😅

The goals I had where getting better, stronger and faster again during the year. Well I think that worked out pretty well but not as good as expected. When I split it to different goals then I could create a list with the things I did achieve and the things I failed.

I discussed last year with my physiotherapist what my main goals where for this year. I told him I would love to run the marathon again and start competition swimming next season. For the marathon he did warn me that October 2018 wasn’t an option. But I could be able to achieve 15km again at the end of the year. So we created a schedule what had to be doable during the year. 5km I had to achieve around February and I made it with a swim-run competition, during summer I should be able to run 10km but at the beach not at the streets that part I had to think about somewhere around October. Till there I made it. The failure was the 15km, not there yet the muscles in my back can’t hold it that long. Although my goal was by the end of the year, I didn’t make it. I’m still around the 10k. Expecting to reach the 15k the first months of the new year.

But on the other hand I came across the RB400 challenge around July and created some posts about it 1,2,3,4. I had the discussion with my physiotherapist and he told me that I should just give it a try and see where the party would end. Well I would never dare to dream about the result I managed to reach here I didn’t make it to Austria together with Kjeld Nuis. But I survived multiple rounds till the last round where they would choose the candidates for the race itself.

I was allowed to surf a few minutes a day back in 2017. For the 2018 year I was allowed to surf faster and longer. But I couldn’t my surfstance changed so there was something wrong… I did try to find out myself what was wrong but wasn’t able to find out myself. So there we had a surf clinic @dboontje and I by Jordy Vonk. The number 4 of the PWA world ranking. This Dutchman find out what my problem was, and it was because my sails where tuned wrong. After a few years not rigging my sails I started doing it wrong because I was so happy to get back on the water again. So first that was a giant failure, but I managed to turn that around with some help in an achievement.

Last thing I wanted was to compete again in the swimming pool but before I’m able to do this I need to be able to bent forward and grab the block. Well I couldn’t, so another thing I needed to achieve during the year. And I made it last week! Too late for the start of the season, and I can’t bend forward fast enough for a start procedure, but I’ll get there in the end! For now, I can grab the block again!

My back, left image after the summer, right image just before the summer. Don't ask how bad it was a year ago🙈

A non-body related thing that I achieved was that I got to know you all better and better. I made my first full year at Steemit. And boy what did you guys bring some fun to my life. I started to love writing about my everyday life something I would never expect to happen. Another thing that Steemit made me achieve, is that I’m a proud curator now for the @travelfeed team. Took a while to learn everything. But now I’m there and I don’t want to miss those guys anymore (but I do miss the girls we had on the team… 😥 ). From the @travelfeed team, to another another achievement. Last year I mentioned that I would go to the next Steemfest, and voila I was there. Yes I ended up in Krakow and I loved meeting you all.

My biggest failures are work related this year, and the first one is failing my exam for Microsoft 40-714 the day before I left to New Zealand. Afterwards I didn’t have the time left from the work at my customer and because of the heatwave. Why didn’t I got some time left at my customer? Well originally, we’re a team with 10 team members. Two of them don’t do the IT related work. The PO and the Scrum-master. The rest of the team is there to get the job done. From the other guys 1 by 1 happened something to them. From multiple heart-attacks till Infectious mononucleosis. The team had a problem and as a team the rest of it acts as a failsafe. I did it too, try to get the job done in the end with only 3 people left. And during my last trip in Croatia I discovered it by myself (lucky me), that I did too much work, made my days too long, my mind couldn’t stop thinking about work, work and work. Yes I stepped in the trap so many people step into, being too much in love with the work your doing.

The trip to Slovenia and Croatia, I started a little bit ill, at least I thought so. But while I returned afterwards, I started thinking that the work pressure I had wasn’t normal. After my return from Steemfest I did ring the alarm by my manager. I think this will be my biggest victory from last year. I think I would have burned out by the beginning of next year otherwise. So, for now, I’m not allowed to work over-hours. Not there yet that I am able to fit everything in the normal time but I’m getting there. Still hard to let things just crash, I’m not the person to let those things happen. This is the negative side of the freedom I have at my job. No control from a boss at your working hours, which location you work, when you work etc. And I really love my job, but this was a little too much. My customer promised for next year extra people in the team so let’s see how that ends.

2019

Can’t wait till you start, lot of beautiful things I’m looking forward too. Will you write with me?

• Running the coastline marathon again in October!
  o But first the 15km during Q1
  o Second the half marathon at the end of Q2
• Finally compete at a swimming contest again
  
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• Finish my exam for 70-417 and some other exams so my certificates are leveled with the work I’m doing.
• Keep my work in 8 hours a day
• New travel plans, like going back to Iceland, a surftrip with my friends (@dboontje etc), probably Steemfest again and some short trips with the destination unknown plan.
• My sister is getting married, so she can expect some pranks 😇
• Make Steem bigger better and stronger, with all the Steemians together! 💪
• Meet a lot of new Steemians, and old friends again.
• While reading back, maybe I should learn to summarize things better 🙄

But for now, enjoy the special days coming with your loved ones. So Merry Christmas in advance 🎄 and a big thank you for @anomadsoul again for creating a cool contest. 👍

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