Introduction
As another year comes to an end, it's time for my annual review (check out 2021, 2023) - a tradition where I reflect on the past twelve months, examining what I've learned, how I've grown, and whether I've managed to stick to my goals. These reviews serve as a personal chronicle but also a way to share experiences that might resonate with others on similar journeys.
2024 has been a year of significant transitions and new beginnings. Perhaps the most noteworthy change came in my professional life, where I stepped into a more software engineering-focused role. This transition brought an exciting opportunity to contribute to a large open-source project - something that has opened new horizons for learning and collaboration.
In an effort to share knowledge and best practices, I launched defersec.com, a platform dedicated to DevSecOps principles with a particular focus on the Golang ecosystem. This project has allowed me to combine my passion for security with practical implementation guidance. Along this journey, I've had the chance to deepen my expertise in infrastructure as code, particularly with Terraform, while also exploring the world of Kubernetes.
Beyond the technical realm, this year brought musical adventures I hadn't anticipated. Learning to play the bongos evolved into taking Afro-Cuban Rumba classes for congas - a journey that has added new rhythms and joy to my life.
Looking back, 2024 has been remarkably fulfilling - a year characterized by growth, learning, and shared experiences with wonderful people. As we dive into the details of this year's journey, I'll explore how various aspects of my life have evolved, from productivity systems to daily habits, and from technical skills to creative pursuits.
Goals
As another year comes to an end, it's time to look back at the goals I set for 2024 and think about what lies ahead. This reflection helps me understand not just what I've achieved, but also how my interests and priorities have evolved throughout the year.
2024 Goals Recap
Projects
Back in 2023 i wrote:
I'd definitely love to do something front-end related and therefore I'd like to play a little bit with htmx. But first I need an idea for a small application. This way I plan to code again in Golang (this year I didn't manage to code anything useful).
Security of Github repositories
While dealing with Github and the security settings of repositories, I wanted to have a small tool at hand which will check for different settings (for each repository in an organization) and report (via Slack, E-Mail) if some settings are not compliant.
Finish "Documentation as Code" series
This year I've started writing about several documentation techniques (as code) in my Documentation as Code series. I definitely want to add at least D2Lang to it.
Some goals remained aspirational. The tool for auditing GitHub repository security settings is still on the drawing board. I've been thinking whether to develop it as a standalone application or integrate it into existing frameworks like Steampipe.
Info Notice:
👉 Steampipe already has some Github integrations
My "Documentation as Code" series took an unexpected turn. While I initially was a Plantuml advocate, I found myself gravitating more and more towards Mermaid charts (also after having to write some ADRs where, of course, I've added some diagrams). Its seamless integration with GitHub - automatic rendering in Markdown documents 😎 - proved to be a killer feature.
Music
Back in 2023 my thoughts were:
Besides playing the Djembe this year I've started learning how to play the Bongos. With the help of ChatGPT I was able to read notes again and therefore play some easy to more advanced rhythms on the Bongos. Next year I'd like to keep practicing and get more insights into Latin rhythms (Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Mambo, Rumba etc.)
I have played an acoustic guitar for a while, although not with the same proficiency as I have with hand drums. For motivation, I would like to learn to play the electric guitar and make progress in live looping.
This year marked a significant milestone in my musical journey. After starting with Bongos last year, I dove deeper into Latin percussion by taking Rumba classes on Congas. The world of digital music also opened up to me: I've experimented with live looping and learned my way around Reaper, a cross-platform DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). A particular highlight was discovering Koala Sampler, which completely transformed my approach to live looping and sampling.
Goals for 2025
Technical Projects
Looking ahead, I've identified several key areas for technical growth:
Kubernetes exploration
K8s remains a knowledge gap I'm more than determined to address. I'll again follow a "slow productivity" approach:
- Start with small-scale experiments using k3s/k3d
- Work towards deploying my own little cluster, either on a VPS or locally
- Build practical experience through hands-on projects
And I still need to finish Kubernetes in Action which is really a great about if you want to learn about Kubernetes.
Golang deep dive
With my recent transition towards more Software Engineering-focused tasks, I'm planning to strengthen my Golang expertise. There are 2 specific areas I'd like to know more about:
- Generics: This remains somewhat of a black box that I need to illuminate more
- Concurrency: Beyond basic understanding, I want to explore and implement common patterns that can be applied across different problems
Security tooling
The GitHub repository security checker is still on my radar. With the rise of LLMs, I believe much of the foundational work (authentication, API interactions) can be implemented easily. The key focus will be on defining comprehensive security and compliance checks that provide real value to the users.
Productivity
After years of experimenting with various productivity systems, 2024 was the year where things finally clicked into place. Countless hours of listening to Cal Newport's podcast on slow productivity helped me internalize key concepts like multi-scale planning, time blocking, and deep work. This evolution in my approach has fundamentally changed how I structure my days and manage my projects.
Analog Tools Still a Thing
The return to my bullet journal has been transformative. While digital tools have their place, there's something uniquely effective about pen and paper for certain tasks. Just the simple physical act of writing helps me process information differently and creates a stronger connection to my plans and ideas.
Time Blocking in Practice
One of the most significant changes has been implementing regular time blocking. This practice has helped me:
- Visualize my daily resources more effectively
- Be more realistic about what can be accomplished
- Mentally prepare for the day ahead before diving into tasks
The Power of Paper
Despite our digital age, collecting ideas, notes, and TODOs using pen and paper remains unbeatable for several reasons:
- Meeting notes can be quickly written down easily and fast
- Spontaneous ideas can be captured immediately
- No need to open a laptop for quick captures
- The tactile experience helps with memory and processing
Digital Organization with ORG Mode
While embracing analog tools, I've also refined my digital organization using ORG mode in Emacs. The system has evolved to become more structured and efficient.
* PROJ Project 1
* Tasks
* TODO Do this and that
* Resources
* PROJ Project 2
* Tasks
* TODO Do something else
* Resources
Code Snippet 1:
Project structure in ORG mode
This structure provides a clear separation between active tasks and reference materials, making it easier to focus on what needs to be done while keeping relevant resources readily accessible.
Habits
2024 marked a significant shift in how I approach habit tracking and personal development. While previous years were characterized by meticulous tracking using Loop Habit Tracker, this year I found myself gravitating towards a more intuitive approach.
Sports
The year started with ambitious goals - I aimed to engage in sports twice weekly and incorporate 20-minute daily exercise sessions. Reality, however, had different plans. The transition from a 30-hour to a 40-hour work week significantly impacted my exercise routine.
Reading
My reading habit remains strong, though I've moved away from strict tracking. Goodreads continues to serve as my primary platform for keeping track of books, while the Libby App remains invaluable for accessing e-books and audiobooks.
Software I Use
Inspired by Software Tools I use, I thought I'll also start mentioning my tools I use daily for work and personally. This year I've continued to refine my digital toolkit, focusing on tools that enhance productivity while maintaining simplicity and efficiency in my workflows.
Daily Drivers
Yes, of course. I've decided to go down the Emacs rabbit-hole and have thoroughly "Emacsified" my workflows. While I'm fully aware of spending perhaps too much time tweaking my configuration, the result is a system that perfectly aligns with my needs and working style. A significant milestone this year was transitioning to a fully vanilla setup, giving me complete control over my configuration.
Being on a Mac, I found myself returning to Alfred. Its snippet management and clipboard functionality have become indispensable parts of my daily workflow.
Claude has evolved into my virtual assistant for practically everything:
- Coding assistance
- Text summarization
- Recipe collection
- General writing assistance
As a premium user, I work directly with the interface rather than the API. While I occasionally use Ollama (integrated into Emacs via gptel), Claude remains my primary AI assistant.
As an ORG mode power user, synchronizing my files between devices is crucial. Syncthing elegantly handles this task, enabling seamless sync between:
- Multiple laptops
- Android smartphone
- Various ORG mode files and notes
It's particularly useful for processing smartphone-collected notes and links on my laptop later.
Sports
This app's integration with my Garmin watch has transformed my workout experience:
- Create custom routines/workouts
- Start workouts directly from the watch
- Train without smartphone dependency
- Eliminate decision fatigue before workouts
Services
An invaluable resource that I can't praise enough:
- Integration with local library membership
- Access to vast e-book and audiobook collections
- Magazine and newspaper availability
- Waitlist system for popular titles
The kind of social media we need more of:
- Book discovery platform
- Reading progress tracking
- Community reviews and recommendations
Applications
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- An open source app store which contains applications, many of which are not available on the Play Store
- Unlike Google Play Store, F-Droid does not track user activity or collect data
-
- It's open source
- This is my main driver for listening to podcasts
- It has a very intuitive UI
-
PipePipe
- Allows you to access Youtube videos
- You can play videos in the background (@Google: When do you finally acknowledge people don't want to see silly ads?)
- But the killer feature is still: download videos
- I often do this to learn new Conga/Bongos patterns
- It's way easier to learn this way rather than coming back again and again to Youtube
-
ABMT Music Trainer
- This app allows you to play local music/video files and create cue points, loops
- This way you can easily jump to a certain point in the file
- Very useful for jumping to specific portions of a video if you want to learn something
- I use it often to break down specific parts of a percussion pattern and play them individually
-
Infinity (reddit client)
- If you use reddit a lot this app offers you the most seamless experience
- You can customize your feed with filters, themes and more to tailor your reading experience
- No ads!
- What I like most is the "Hide Read Posts" which allows you to easily check new posts (no infinite scrolling anymore)
Devices
While not software per se, this tool is central to my digital security:
- Primary use as a smartcard for encryption/decryption and signing
- Encrypt/Decrypt ORG mode files
- Sign git commits
- Store authentication keys (e.g. for SSH)
- GPG agent proxying capability
- Access to emails on remote machines
- No need to copy GPG keys to remote systems
Looking Back, Moving Forward
The evolution in my approach to productivity and habits reflects a broader theme this year - finding balance between structure and flexibility. Moving away from rigid tracking towards more intuitive systems hasn't meant losing focus; rather, it has allowed these habits to naturally integrate into daily life.
My musical journey with percussion has added an entirely new dimension to my life, proving that growth doesn't always have to be technical or career-focused. The rhythm and joy of playing congas and bongos has become a welcome counterpoint to the digital world.
Looking ahead to 2025, I'm excited about the possibilities that lie ahead - from deepening my Kubernetes knowledge to mastering new rhythms on the congas. But perhaps more importantly, I'm grateful for the community of people who have been part of this journey, sharing knowledge, experiences, and moments of joy along the way.
As always, these reviews serve not just as personal milestones, but as reminders of how we grow through both the challenges we face and the opportunities we embrace. Here's to another year of learning, creating, and growing together.
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