2024-01-10

New Year

Life has been really good lately - finally starting to feel settled into our new home and new life - we've had some opportunities to get out and explore and that has had such a positive impact on my focus and intent. Some things that stand out (in no particular order):

• Close proximity to the ocean - we've been getting out to the beach 1+ times a week
• Dedicated work space - I finally was able to move into my new office space in our house, a whole floor that's sufficiently comfortable and out of the way.
• Improved work schedule - the majority of my colleagues are in Central European Time, so I've shifted my schedule to more closely overlap with them and it's been great - starting at 7a instead of 9a is a game changer (I've done it before in the past and really enjoyed it), and finishing work at ~3p really frees up a much more contiguous block of free time in the afternoons.
• Health - I've been trying to prioritize working out and fitness a bit more after such a chaotic year of moving, change, and disruptions - this has been good, and has been a nice opportunity to spend time with my partner, too.

Some things that I'm hoping to do in 2024:

• There are a lot of moving parts at work, equal portions management and development - I would like to better track, plan, and accomodate those changing goals (this bleeds through into my general mental state more than I would like, if I'm being honest)
• Pick up game dev work again - I had an opportunity to attend a local online meetup a few months ago for game creators in my area, this was so inspiring and is something that I really want to bring back into my life this year
• Music - I started playing drums during the pandemic, and have played guitar, bass, sang, etc for a long time. Packing all of that up as part of moving across the country was hard, and having access to those tools again has me feeling ready to tell some kind of story with them.

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© 2025 Matthew Ryan Dillon