Reflections — Timeless Limit PART A
As I write this, I remember the words of Asa in her song “Grateful”…
“You don’t have to wait ’til you feel the pain
You can start right now
It’s not too late
It’s not too late to be grateful!”
Last week, I was taken aback by the feats of this current year—my struggles, challenges, and, more importantly, my wins. I decided that if there were something I would want my future self to see, it would be my advice written behind the synastry and tapestry of the Os and 1s of the Internet.
My journey from the beginning of the year:
I entered 2024 full of aspirations, hope, and boundless energy for my career. I had big plans — speaking at tech events, collecting swags, and pushing myself to new heights. I told myself that 2024 would be the year of exponential growth in my tech career, and I was determined to make it happen.
This meme gives a summary of how my year with Flutter went!
I’ll be sharing 5 rules for setting your goals for the new year. They might sound funny, but trust me, these are real-life hacks that will level up your game! Let’s dive in. 😎
Rule 1: Learn to assert. Your assertion determines your asset. It is the money that you assert that you convert! (I need some accolades from Layi)
I got a project at the end of ’23 which demanded me to learn a new state management. I built the front end of the mobile application for about 2–3 months. I finished all my milestones; and got my first pound sterling gig. Life was cool and fresh. I was so happy with myself
“What could go wrong?”
Na so I finish my 4 milestones get money for only three milestones… Omooo! Dem still talk say make I push the code for the repo. But because of the Nigerian Spirit wey dey inside me, I no push am. Make them push money for my aza first!
Imagine starting the year flexing hard, only to check your account balance the next month and realize it’s shrinking faster than your height in centimeters.
Rule 2: Follow those who know the way, or risk getting stopped by life’s FRSC asking, “Who you be?” There are many types of pencils, but one thing sets them apart — experience. That’s why a pencil is only useful when it’s sharpened. Similarly, it’s experience that sharpens and refines us.
I began interning with an incredible company in the US, where I got hands-on exposure to AI tools that supercharged my software development skills. It was an eye-opening experience — though I spent a lot of nights in meetings thanks to the time zone difference! There was even this one time I completely dozed off during a meeting — it was 3 a.m., after all. I woke up thinking, “If this hustle is Yahoo, abeg let me know o! I might as well join YBWL (Yahoo Boys With Laptops).” Meanwhile, my boss was calling my name repeatedly during the meeting, but I was in dreamland, feasting on jollof rice and chicken. 😂
Rule 3: No fear to jump enter new projects, tools, or anything wey go ginger your creativity o! Because if you no try, how you wan take know say you sabi? Abeg, no dey do like person wey hold torchlight but still dey find matches. Shine your light! 🔥
I had the opportunity to build an in-house tracking system for the employees of a large company. The system was designed to handle precise location tracking, gather data from scanned resources, and update customer records seamlessly. It was my first time tackling a project of that scale, and I didn’t sleep properly for 3–4 weeks. But in the end, it was absolutely worth it — an unforgettable learning experience! I spent the money buying puff puff and egg rolls
Rule 4: If there’s one thing I want my future self to remember, it’s this — no dey carry multiple projects at once. Take am easy, focus on one thing at a time, and watch solutions scale. No go kee yourself o! Life no be competition.
Omoooooo! If you like, no follow my advice. You go find yourself for the same pit wey I dey now. Imagine building two apps within one month — customer app and admin panel. I did dependency injections for both, consumed endpoints, implemented push notifications… the only thing left was to set up a CI pipeline. All this while juggling work for other companies (names withheld for now 😅).
How did I survive? You gats Monster your way out, or you go turn prey for the face of the Predator. No be beans, my guy!
Rule 5: Be proud of the little progress that you have made. Each day presents new goals and aspirations to crush. Don’t worry! You will hit those goals and crush those bugs!
I think it’s time to take a bow and reflect on some of my milestones this year:
- I became an Organizer for the Google Developer Groups at my campus.
- I honed my skills in Stacked, Get, Riverpod, Provider, and Bloc.
- I built several impactful software solutions.
- I grew my LinkedIn profile significantly.
- I had speaking engagements.
- I organized different tech events ranging from study jams to my first info session.
- I interviewed and onboarded leads for my community.
- I employed interns and helped guide their growth.
- And I had a lot of job offers, which I’ll be sharing in Part B.
But for now, I just want to encourage you — don’t give up. The year is far from over, and your dreams and aspirations are still valid. In Part B, I’ll be sharing a major, detailed post about my journey this year and my plans for the upcoming one. Stay tuned!
