My 2021 Personal Retrospective
As I did last year, I’ll continue to use a retrospective overview inspired by Jason Lengstorf’s retrospective post.
Where was I at the end of 2020?
I was at an all time high with my weight and so I made that one of the goals for 2021. To improve my health, especially after another warning from the doctor. Besides that we also struggled due to COVID. My wife had to close down her business due to the strict regulations of the Belgian government.
At my client I was kept as the only developer, the other team members were let go due to the impact of COVID on the event industry. So I set out to single-handedly keep the car running and improve the engine, as a figure of speech.
What went well in 2021?
For the first part of 2021 I kept my diet and exercising up. Which resulted in a good 5 kg weight loss. Enough to stave off the dangers of being overweight. We also got further in the planning of our house, which will start construction in April 2022. And last but not least, our son’s hip displacement is now healed well enough that we changed to a yearly check-up instead of a half-yearly check-up.
On a professional level, I finally got new team members. Which means that I no longer need to keep the car running single-handedly. I also am a strong believer that I need colleagues at work to challenge me and help me push beyond what I already know. I can honestly say that they did that!
What could have gone better in 2020?
As just mentioned, I kept up my diet and exercise for the first part of 2021. Sadly I lost track again after losing both my grandparents in quick succession. Naturally things went kind of off the rails at that point. But at least we were expecting a daughter in September, that instilled some motivation to get it back on track.
Sadly, in September we encountered more bad luck. Our baby girl was born in the night of 24 september at 5:07, with severe complications. She wasn’t breathing when she was born and thus our room quickly filled with different medical specialists. With the quick actions of the medical team she was reanimated successfully but no one could tell us the extension of the damage that occurred. The medical team of the Antwerp University Hospital took over and decided to move our Lily-Rose to their specialized department. 7 Days we spent in between hope and despair, until they brought us the devastating news. She had sustained so much brain damage that all doctors agreed, this was too much damage to live with. We got some extra time to say our goodbyes and let the people closest to us also visit. On the 6th of October at 00:06 she left this world, but never our hearts.
I’m thankful for the moments we had with her, for all the support we got and the understanding of our work.
What will I change going into 2022?
I’ll continue to try and place all these emotions. To let grieve do it’s thing. My wife and I agreed to try and focus on small little things we can manage. And our son, our little rock in the surf who always managed to cheer us up, even if for a brief moment.
I spend some time to get a good view on the things that will push me forward in life. Family, friends, health and knowledge.
What are your goals for 2021?
If you want to do a retrospective as well there are 3 questions to answer:
- What went well?
- What could have gone better?
- What will I change going forward?
If you do, and you make it public, feel free to tweet Jason and me to let us know. Over on Jason his post, there’s also a link to a supportive community to bounce ideas off.
Always loved,
Never forgotten…
Forever missed
Lily-Rose ⭐