2022 was the year that I...
Jan 10, 2023 • 2 min read
2022 was the year that I... made Lisbon my home, giving myself a whole new continent to explore.
This was huge for me because, as a Filipino, I had a set of rules for myself that didn't apply to others. A limiting belief that says I have to work twice as hard to get half what others get, and never have what they were born with - the freedom to see the world.
Becoming a Portuguese resident proved me wrong. I can travel the world, and if I was wrong about that, then I was also probably wrong about everything else.
I've always been grateful for the privileges I've had, but now I really, really see it. And I hope to give the same opportunities to others one day, but that's going to be bit farther into the future. First, I'm exploring Europe! 🎉
Highlights and accomplishments to be proud of
- Successfully navigated the long bureaucratic process of migrating. My sense of urgency and obsession with getting everything right came in handy, and so the paperwork went smoothly. 😎 This obsession usually manifests in unnecessary anxiety, but this time I was glad to have it!
- Found my dream job with location + time independence, utilizing my array of skills in coding, design, copywriting and taking ownership of a project. All this by working part-time, learning loads, and getting paid well! ⚡️
- Spoke about remote work and digital nomad life to CS/IT students from my uni. It's a small step towards my goal of spreading opportunities and success in tech to the Philippines.
- (Kinda) got over my impostor syndrome. If I think I'm not good enough, then maybe I'm not and I just gotta work towards getting better. I'll be awesome that way.
- I can deadlift more than my body weight.
- After 3 years of travel, I signed a lease for the first time 🤯
What didn't work in 2022
- Sold a template but it was a failure because I did zero marketing 🤪
- Started a travel blog with the intention of earning ad revenue, then realized I don't like writing long informative blog posts. I learned SEO though, and applied that to my portfolio site. Now I continue to get views from Google to this day. Ultimately, it was a win!
- I wanted to make website audits, created the landing page, and never launched due to lack of self-confidence 😆 maybe 2023?
- My lifts didn't improve much despite the consistent workouts. Time to track and up my protein.
2023 goals
Generally just do more and get better on all the things that matter. Specifically:
