When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.

  • R. Buckminster Fuller

Following Last Year’s Tradition: My 2024 Year Recap

As always, this post is my chance to take a step back, reflect on the past year, and share some of the highlights—both the good and the not-so-great. It’s a moment to celebrate achievements, recount unique experiences, and, of course, confront the things that didn’t go as planned.

This post might be a little late, but hey—better late than never!

The bad stuff

In the spirit of honesty, I like to start with the negatives, which often come to mind first.

  • Health Goals Missed (Again): I’m still struggling to maintain a healthier lifestyle. To be fair, there was some progress: I began physiotherapy, and in December, I managed a solid month of going to the gym before…well, falling off the wagon again. My goal for 2025? Stick with it for at least six straight months and make it a sustainable habit.

  • No steam_api Gem Release: This was one of my goals, but life threw me a curveball. Between work demands and personal responsibilities, I couldn’t find the time or focus to wrap up the project. It’s disappointing, but I’ve learned that some things take a backseat when life gets hectic.

  • Gaming Slump: This one hurts the most. I’ve always cherished gaming, but in 2024, I barely touched my favorite hobby. If I played and finished ten games, that would be generous. The only title I really invested time in was Black Myth: Wukong, and even then, I only made it to Chapter Four out of six. Why the slump? I think it boils down to decision paralysis. My Steam library is massive, and having so many options ends up being more stressful than fun. I’d spend way too much time scrolling, trying to decide what to play, instead of actually playing. Big, immersive games that require hours at a desk just don’t seem to click with me anymore.

    Every time I turn on my laptop, I feel the urge to program, not play games. It’s clear that my environment—using my computer primarily as a work tool in an office setting—has had a significant impact on my overall PC gaming experience.

The good stuff

  • MP3 Player This was a goal I’d had for a while, and I finally went for it. Thanks to one of those endless digital minimalism or “retro gadgets” videos that kept popping up on my YouTube feed, I grabbed a cheap MP3 player from AliExpress. Since then, I’ve been downloading most of the music I’ve listened to over the past six months, and honestly, it’s been such a refreshing experience.

    The idea of canceling my Spotify subscription even crossed my mind. It’s funny—I tend to listen to the same artists and songs on repeat anyway, so why not make it offline and intentional? This small purchase brought me unexpected joy, and I’m excited to keep building my little personal library of music.

  • Anbernic RG35XX-SP: A BEAST! Another YouTube-inspired purchase! After bingeing retro gaming videos, I couldn’t resist the Anbernic RG35XX-SP—a clamshell console that brings back serious Game Boy Advance SP vibes. This little beast handles everything from Gameboy to PSP and PS1 games, and the first thing I did after unboxing was install the MUOS custom firmware (muos.dev).

    It’s been a blast. While I’m not as motivated to play games on my PC, I’ve been loving quick 30-minute sessions of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Silver. It’s been like revisiting childhood memories but with a modern twist. If you’re into retro gaming, I’d highly recommend picking one up—it’s as awesome as advertised.

  • Promoted to Senior Developer and Tech Lead This was a huge milestone for me. Mid-year, I was promoted to Senior Developer at my company—a significant step forward in my career. Then, towards the end of the year, I was offered a provisional Tech Lead position for a small team (just one person so far, but hey, we all start somewhere!).

    Leadership wasn’t something I initially aimed for. I’ve always been more drawn to the technical side—coding, problem-solving, and building cool things. But after some meaningful discussions with my previous team leader throughout 2024, I realized this role is an opportunity to bring about the changes I’ve always wanted to see in the company. By sharing my ideas and guiding the team, I’m hoping to leave a positive mark.

  • Quality Time with Family One of the best decisions we made this year was prioritizing family time, thanks to a suggestion from my wife. Whenever we had the chance, we visited our parents or spent time with close relatives. Life is short, and being around the people we love is priceless.

    From relaxing weekends at my in-laws’ countryside home to game nights with friends and dinners with my parents, these moments stood out as some of the most meaningful. We even spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve with family—something we don’t usually do, but it was absolutely worth it.

Everything else

  • Work Fun: December brought our annual company meeting, and I had an absolute blast catching up with colleagues. It’s always great to connect outside of the day-to-day grind.

  • Books, Books, and More Books: My Kindle got a serious workout in 2024! I managed to read about 50 books, mostly fiction (my comfort zone), though I also tackled a few programming books along the way. One thing I wish we had more of in Brazil is affordable, smaller e-readers. While I love my Kindle Paperwhite, it’s a bit bulky for one-handed reading. I might hunt down an older, smaller model to make my reading sessions even more enjoyable.

  • Naked and Afraid: One standout show I spent time with this year was Naked and Afraid. Watching people survive extreme situations (and doing it all NAKED!) was oddly fascinating. Props to everyone who’s brave enough to go through that—just imagining it is wild!

Lessons Learned

  • Hard work truly pays off. Put your best effort into everything you do, and trust that people will notice your dedication. The rewards may not come immediately, but they’ll arrive when you least expect them—just like my promotions did. Every ounce of effort you put in will eventually pay dividends. So, always give it your all and stay consistent.
  • Keep good friends close, and keep family even closer. Life is short, so don’t take the people you love for granted. Embrace them, tell them you love them, and prioritize spending quality time together. Those moments are priceless and will stay with you forever.

Goals for 2025

Epilogue

It was great—simple as that. Sure, there are a few things I’d do differently, but overall, 2024 was one of the best years I’ve ever had.