Because last year's summary was written in a hurry, so I started writing this summary at the beginning of the month, but I kept postponing it until today, so let's just make it a casual account~
Reading#
The most worth mentioning this year is probably reading. I miraculously finished reading 35 books this year, and I don't even know how many I didn't finish. I am a staunch supporter of e-books, mainly reading on WeChat Reading. According to the statistics, I read between 5-10 hours per week.
Books are abundant in this era, but there are not many worth reading. Here are some recommendations:
- For cognitive thinking, I recommend "Cognitive Awakening: The Original Motivation for Self-Change," "Naval's Codex," and "Opening the Mind."
- For habit formation, I recommend "Fogg Behavior Model" and "Mastering Habits." The former is a methodology, and the latter provides detailed case studies.
- For knowledge management, I recommend "Card-Style Note Writing Method." This is also the area where I am most troubled, as I haven't found a second book worth reading.
- For philosophy, I recommend "What Did Philosophers Do?" After reading this book, I realized that many philosophers in history were great mathematicians.
- For biographies, I highly recommend "The Deng Xiaoping Era," the only book that kept me up all night!
- For programming, I recommend "The Effective Engineer" and "The Pragmatic Programmer." For front-end development, I recommend reading "Vue.js: Design and Implementation."
Looking at it this way, I have read quite a few good books this year, but I haven't internalized much. It's not about the quantity of books you read, but the insights you gain. What you think and understand while reading, those are the most valuable things a book can bring you.
Your brain is for having ideas, not for holding.
Because my memory is not good, I will make an effort to review my notes regularly and put them into practice next year.
Media#
This year, I consciously restrained myself from seeking external information because 99% of it is junk. Truly important information will always find its way to you through various channels, such as the top 20 news or epidemic prevention and control updates...
Another reason is that ordinary information cannot capture people's attention nowadays. The online discussions are often about exaggerated and impactful news. I am tired of all the boring twists and turns, always indignant and never repentant. Since I can't change human nature, I'd rather actively refuse to engage.
Gaming#
I have always used games as an escape from reality, so I was once addicted to "Overwatch." Because it's too easy to get addicted to PvP, I tried playing single-player games this year and found myself falling into another rabbit hole. Fortunately, successfully completing "Elden Ring" allowed me to switch to the electronic ending.
Now my excitement threshold has been infinitely raised, and perhaps there is no work that can move me as much as "Elden Ring."
Subscriptions#
Now we come to my favorite tools. In the second half of the year, I also developed a habit of trying various "productivity" software.
I broke my subscription record this year and spent ¥2500 on subscription-based products. IntelliJ IDEA will not be renewed because the 2022 version automatically switched to a new UI with many bugs, and the latest 2022.3 version surprisingly still has many dark UI elements in the light theme...
I am most satisfied with Flomo. This product, which I abandoned for two years, was picked up by me again in the second half of the year.
Returning to Flomo and reading its 101 documentation, I was pleasantly surprised to find that its knowledge management system is exactly what I have been searching for. Its simple and comfortable input experience, combined with WeChat integration, greatly increased my input frequency. Since I stopped writing online articles, I haven't had the desire to create for a long time. The idea of "card-style note-taking" behind it has sparked my passion for creation, and I have been sporadically recording ever since.
Of course, this software is not perfect. It lacks functionality, and although it has linked notes, they seem to be non-existent. I am still lacking a better note-taking app. It was at this time that I discovered Heptabase. I only had a brief experience with Heptabase, but the reason I didn't get it was its expensive $83.88 annual fee, and it is still in the beta testing phase, so the product is not stable yet, and some small features are indeed like a thorn in my side. Therefore, I did not choose it this year. If my subscription budget is sufficient next year, I will purchase it and give it a try.
Exercise#
Life is about movement, and this year I suddenly developed a liking for running. Although I couldn't continue due to various reasons, running did bring about a lot of changes in my mindset. I plan to achieve a goal of running 100km per month next year.
There is a new gym near my neighborhood, and I got a gym membership card. I plan to start exercising there when it opens early next year. Since my weight increased to 62kg, my abs have disappeared, and so has my youth...
Relationships (Marriage)#
I didn't want to mention this, but recently, Bilibili keeps recommending marriage proposals and weddings to me... I'm innocent!
For many people, marriage is a beautiful companionship, and the power of 1+1>2 can indeed bring support, love, and a sense of security. At the same time, it inevitably brings pressure and responsibility, limiting the pursuit of future life.
For me, I have always believed that marriage is sad. Because I have never seen a happy marriage, only exhausted ones. It binds young people's hearts at an early age and makes them strive for the burden on their shoulders.
Putting aside the trivialities of life, looking at the universe, how insignificant humans are! Life is meaningless, and people should explore the unknown possibilities and enjoy the life they choose in their limited time, rather than being driven by society to get married and have children, repeating this sad cycle.
Finally, let's talk about the relationship between the sexes. I believe there are only three types of relationships between men and women: romantic love, family love, and professional relationships. The first two are easy to understand, so let's focus on the last one, which is more like a category. I can't find a suitable word to describe it, so I can only use "professional" to refer to it.
"Professional" relationships are common in life, such as teacher-student relationships and colleagues. Normal interactions between professionals are like "gentlemen's exchanges." Former lovers, simps, mutual dislike, or unrequited love can also be classified as "professional" relationships. They are more like perfunctory interactions, with fake smiles, either knowing or being kept in the dark.
Of course, I am looking forward to romantic love, but the chances are slim. I am an INTJ personality, a selfish egoist.
I wish everyone could be with their loved ones~
Conclusion#
Looking at the time, it's about time to end! You can be carefree in life, but not in thoughts! Let me end with my favorite quote:
The most beautiful story I've heard is that the princess died, but the dragon-slaying boy is still burning.
Wishing everyone a stronger year ahead!