(🎁 Template inside) This guide shows software engineers how to align life stages, balance priorities, and use yearly reflections for faster success. A yearly review done right
This was fantastic, Fran! As a 36-year-old, I totally resonate with spiritual development and the search for meaning and purpose.
The Wheel of Life is a great concept I saw first at Ali Abdaal just recently. But before that, I had a different analogy for life: I was thinking about a chair and different aspects of life would be the legs of the chair.
Technically, the more legs your chair has, the more stable it is. For example, if someone maxed out their career but neglected everything else, they'd be sitting on a pretty unstable chair...
This was a great reflection. You had amazing growth, and I wish you all the best in 2025. Thanks for supporting my newsletter and for all the shoutouts you do. I appreciate it. 🙇♂️
Thanks a lot for your words Akos! This is a post that I was thinking on for the last 3 weeks when I was doing my yearly review.
I totally agree with the chair analogy. One single leg would make it very unstable, even if it makes it very tall (assuming tall == success). And I think it's actually hard to advance your life while neglecting the other areas, I'd say it's easier to achieve a "10" in our career when you don't have a "0" in all the other areas
For sure. We have examples of people who made it to “10” in business and their profession, but the cost was everything else. A trade I don't want to accept.
It may make sense to have a "10" in career when it means they have advanced humanity in a way that has benefited millions of people. Those people have "sacrificed" all the other areas of their lives for that purpose.
But still, if someone advances humanity but finds themselves unhappy, it means in the end they wanted something different from life, even if they didn't dare to admit it to themselves
The Wheel of Life concept was a game-changer when I discovered it a few years ago. Since then, it's been a daily reminder of the balance I try to accomplish. Even though a balance is not possible, imo, striving for a balance is the way to go. Some days or weeks, we might work more, while others, we might spend more time with friends and family. Self-awareness is crucial.
Yes! I don't know where or whom I heard this from, but balance isn't something to achieve daily, but something to achieve in the big picture of your entire year.
Great read. Thanks for this. It’s always good to be reminded that big goals can be broken up into smaller ones. I think we end up achieving more when we set weekly and even daily goals that help us reach our big goals.
It's why I am working on my newsletter so diligently. I wonder where the computer scientists, software engineers, entrepreneurs, marketers, and tech mavens are that aren't getting into MANGA companies, VC-funded startups, and fancy Fortune 500 companies.
Do they feel left behind?
It's interesting to see many of my elders continuously try to assure me that I have time, but I don't feel this way at all. I feel like I wasted a lot--thinking about it, that is.
Why I didn't create the next project that can save the world, be the most innovative engineer, the coolest founder, etc?
This was fantastic, Fran! As a 36-year-old, I totally resonate with spiritual development and the search for meaning and purpose.
The Wheel of Life is a great concept I saw first at Ali Abdaal just recently. But before that, I had a different analogy for life: I was thinking about a chair and different aspects of life would be the legs of the chair.
Technically, the more legs your chair has, the more stable it is. For example, if someone maxed out their career but neglected everything else, they'd be sitting on a pretty unstable chair...
This was a great reflection. You had amazing growth, and I wish you all the best in 2025. Thanks for supporting my newsletter and for all the shoutouts you do. I appreciate it. 🙇♂️
Thanks a lot for your words Akos! This is a post that I was thinking on for the last 3 weeks when I was doing my yearly review.
I totally agree with the chair analogy. One single leg would make it very unstable, even if it makes it very tall (assuming tall == success). And I think it's actually hard to advance your life while neglecting the other areas, I'd say it's easier to achieve a "10" in our career when you don't have a "0" in all the other areas
For sure. We have examples of people who made it to “10” in business and their profession, but the cost was everything else. A trade I don't want to accept.
I wouldn't accept it either.
It may make sense to have a "10" in career when it means they have advanced humanity in a way that has benefited millions of people. Those people have "sacrificed" all the other areas of their lives for that purpose.
But still, if someone advances humanity but finds themselves unhappy, it means in the end they wanted something different from life, even if they didn't dare to admit it to themselves
Helping humanity, even at a small scale, like these newsletters, feels amazing, no doubt.
The Wheel of Life concept was a game-changer when I discovered it a few years ago. Since then, it's been a daily reminder of the balance I try to accomplish. Even though a balance is not possible, imo, striving for a balance is the way to go. Some days or weeks, we might work more, while others, we might spend more time with friends and family. Self-awareness is crucial.
Yes! I don't know where or whom I heard this from, but balance isn't something to achieve daily, but something to achieve in the big picture of your entire year.
A period of self-reflection, where individuals reassess their life choices and direction.
As a 28-year-old this resonated deeply.
Thanks for this wonderful piece, Fran.
I'm really glad you liked it, Alberto!
Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian, not Australian.
Oh I completely mixed both. Thanks for calling it out, I updated the post
Thanks for this great sharing. I am curious about how you created such wonderful infographics. Which tools did you use?
I used Canva. This kind of chart is called “radar chart“
Great read. Thanks for this. It’s always good to be reminded that big goals can be broken up into smaller ones. I think we end up achieving more when we set weekly and even daily goals that help us reach our big goals.
Yes! A gigantic goal will create more fear and friction to start making progress.
A big goal should bring a sense of direction to ensure we aren't climbing the wrong ladder.
But other than that, what matters the most is the next step, always the next step!
Self-reflection is my middle name lol.
It's why I am working on my newsletter so diligently. I wonder where the computer scientists, software engineers, entrepreneurs, marketers, and tech mavens are that aren't getting into MANGA companies, VC-funded startups, and fancy Fortune 500 companies.
Do they feel left behind?
It's interesting to see many of my elders continuously try to assure me that I have time, but I don't feel this way at all. I feel like I wasted a lot--thinking about it, that is.
Why I didn't create the next project that can save the world, be the most innovative engineer, the coolest founder, etc?
Thank you for putting a name to the feeling!