2022 Year-End Summary

It's the end of the year again. I took a glance at my goals for 2022, then waved my little hand to change the date, and the goals for 2023 came out (if only it were that easy, I wouldn't have to write so much).

Of course, that's just a joke. I flipped through "Can Wei's 2021 Year-End Summary," and in 2022, I still wanted to find my lifelong career and my mission, but just like last year, I still have no answers.

This Year

At the end of 2021, I left Guangzhou. I also stepped away from my previous entrepreneurial project and exited the used car industry. If I had to use one word to describe it, it might be "slacking off." This year, under the impact of the pandemic, everyone pressed the pause button. Many people encountered uncertainties in their lives, and even more were waiting for those uncertainties to occur.

Changing Tracks

During this time, the process was undoubtedly painful and anxiety-inducing. This year, I was mostly accompanied by insomnia and anxiety. Of course, the significant downturn in the investment market also caused most people's wallets to shrink rapidly. Unsurprisingly, I also lost quite a bit, but compared to friends who lost everything due to exchanges collapsing, at least my assets are still intact.

Just like last year's summary, I entered the Web3 industry. However, the process of switching tracks was exceptionally difficult because you don't know what exactly you need to learn to truly step into this industry. For my friends who recently wanted to get into programming, they ask me daily which is better: Python, Java, or JavaScript. In fact, different directions require learning different things, but my friends only tell me to go all in.

You might have noticed that my public account has hardly updated articles this year because I spent most of the first half of the year learning about Web3, so I didn't read many books. This is something I feel I didn't do well this year.

Let me briefly explain what Web3 is. In fact, Web3 is a collective term for concepts like blockchain, cryptocurrency, metaverse, digital collectibles, NFTs, DeFi, and so on. It's similar to how we refer to today's mobile internet, H5, and mini-programs as Web2. In China, it belongs to an unregulated industry, and currently, Hong Kong is working on compliance for related industries. With the opening of borders, I will have more opportunities in Shenzhen to connect with Builders in the industry in Hong Kong.

In traditional Web2, the services we use run on servers. For example, Alipay runs on Alibaba Cloud's servers. In the world of Web3, all our applications run on the blockchain, and the stability of the chain is supported by miners. Miners purchase computers to run blockchain applications and earn rental fees, which is similar to mining, so everyone is referred to as miners.

Because blockchain technology is based on accounting logic, as long as there are miners, your data will never be lost. So where does the money that miners earn come from? It's from the fees that your program needs to pay to miners every time it runs. Therefore, programs on the blockchain are called smart contracts; they do not run automatically but can only run passively.

When we create on-chain and off-chain applications, it is more challenging in design than creating ordinary applications because you need to know what should be on-chain and what should be off-chain. You can adjust your smart contract code in various ways, but incorrect data cannot be changed, and on-chain storage is very expensive.

We once experienced a communication issue that led to not using the correct method for transferring funds, resulting in the money being stuck in the smart contract. Moreover, once it's on-chain, it cannot be modified, and many vulnerable contracts become hacker ATMs (of course, some project teams may also engage in self-theft).

After more than half a year of learning, I finally had an opportunity to officially start working on actual projects and become a Builder in the industry.

Life

Recently, I've heard the most, "I envy your life." As a digital nomad, I do have relative freedom in terms of time and location. For example, I can live in one city for two weeks and then switch to another city for the next two weeks. Such a lifestyle indeed makes people yearn for it, but in reality, you might find that this lifestyle has a short shelf life.

Most people prefer stability, such as stable jobs, stable daily routines, and stable social circles, occasionally traveling to spice up life; I am no exception. Once you start living as a digital nomad, you will find that life is no longer like before, where you wake up early for the commute, chat with colleagues, and let the day pass by.

I believe everyone has experienced the feeling of being quarantined or a city being silent, leading to a joke that talking to flowers and plants is fine, but if the other party communicates back, you need to quickly contact No. 600 Wanping Road.

Long-term working from home gives you this feeling. This year, I tried various ways, such as going to study rooms or coffee shops, but the biggest problem is that working outside for too long causes neck and back pain. The benefit of working from home is having a suitable chair and desk, along with the necessary equipment support.

As someone who is not very proactive and has a bit of social anxiety, the transition is a very painful thing, meaning you need to be able to step out of your social comfort zone at any time. So, I periodically go to a place to gather with old friends for a few days or go to a new place to meet new friends. However, since I have a cat to take care of at home, I don't like to be away for too long, which leads to not knowing when to meet again after just getting familiar.

This year, I started trying various ways to increase social interactions. I tried surfing, frisbee, baseball, and rugby (after playing once, my back was wrecked), and I also picked up the bad habit of playing cards (after all, playing Texas Hold'em for a long time usually results in losses). In the first half of the year, I had little social demand due to staying at home to study, wearing shorts and flip-flops, but in the second half of the year, I began to pay attention to my outfit (after all, I had to go out and meet people), and I also managed to lose the weight I couldn't shed last year.

If I were to divide the year, the first half was about changing careers, and the second half was about learning to live well.

Investment

The assets I invested in 2021 are almost down to zero. Although there was some progress in 2022, I still incurred significant losses. Of course, one can blame the poor external environment, as the market experienced consecutive black swan events that caused many asset prices to plummet rapidly. However, during this process, I learned a lot from communicating with different investors, but many lessons still require paying tuition. Many new investors always think they are different from others, leading them to make many mistakes we once made, and then the market will quickly teach you a lesson.

Fortunately, I managed to avoid several projects that collapsed because I didn't understand them well; otherwise, I would have lost everything. Besides the assets purchased from the secondary market, I also had some investments in airdrops, which currently seem likely to incur losses as well. After all, when I started last year, the market wasn't so competitive, and now there are various checks on transaction records, whether they are real users, etc.

Currently, the only profitable investment is the used car project, which is the only entrepreneurial venture that made money. The initial capital not only didn't incur losses but also yielded some dividends, although not much, but overall, I am very happy.

2023

As 2022 is coming to an end and 2023 is approaching, we still need to set some expectations for 2023.

This year's keywords are mainly "career change" and "life," while next year's keywords will be "progress" and "breakthrough."

Progress

As my tattoo says, "keep calm and carry on," I need to keep moving forward. This year, I didn't do much related to career and making money, as I just entered the industry, but as an idealistic person, I hope to make some changes in the industry next year.

Currently, I have observed three directions that interest me.

A friend once said, "I didn't expect you to be quite sentimental." Anyway, I heard that the last sentimental person owed a lot of money; his name was Teacher Luo.

I plan to make further progress in my work next year and create some products with social value. I also hope to participate in some open industry events and connect with industry talents.

Breakthrough

A few days ago, I went to see a stand-up comedy show, one of those open mics where different people take the stage to tell jokes. Some were good, while others were not so funny. I noticed that the stories told by those who were just average usually lacked coherence, relying more on funny punchlines.

For example, someone might say he had an argument with a colleague over something and, in a fit of anger, stormed out, and since that day, the company has been without a door. Some jokes might seem funny the first time you hear them, but after that, they lose their charm.

Even if I laughed a bit, I still felt something was missing—emotion and imagery.

For instance, another performer told a story about buying something that turned out to be ten times his budget, so he didn't buy it and later found something within his budget on Meituan. A good performer can create a vivid picture during their performance, evoke the audience's emotions, and capture their attention, making even a small event seem very interesting.

My friends who saw my posts on social media all thought I had changed careers and started doing stand-up comedy. Later, I asked a friend, and he said he actually found some of my experiences quite interesting at times. He suggested that if I practiced deliberately, I might as well give it a try, as it would be a way to experience a different kind of life. However, I need to practice how to be an interesting person in my daily life.

So, I've added another item to my plans for next year: to be an interesting person and try going on stage to perform.

Others

Fitness: This year, my exercise routine has been inconsistent, and I haven't been able to stick with it. After experiencing mild COVID, my cough hasn't improved, and I just remembered that my lungs have had issues before, and my immune system is really weak. So, I need to be consistent next year; otherwise, I won't be able to fit into my clothes.

Reading: I only finished two books this year. Looking at my reading records on WeChat, I realize I've been lazy about reading again this year. If anyone has good book recommendations, please share them with me. My plan for next year is to read at least one book a month.

Writing: Including my mirror and public account, I've only written about 20 articles this year, which is less than what I wrote in a month last year. Writing is a process that forces input and requires persistence.

Sleep: This year has been the worst for my sleep. I've had insomnia night after night, and nothing seems to work—melatonin, sleeping pills, essential oil pillows—nothing helps. I can only tough it out for two or three days and then finally get a good night's sleep. Friends with experience in this area, please message me; sleep will be a very important focus for me next year.

Finally

2022 has seen rapid changes, moving from a comfort zone into an industry I’m interested in, and I’m currently very satisfied with my work situation. Although the process has been painful, I enjoy feeling fulfilled every day and the sense of progress toward my goals.

Many people say they envy my situation, but they can't see the process behind it; they only seem to appreciate the glamorous side of me.

Whenever friends want to give up on things they've been persisting in, I always encourage them (some might see this as a middle-aged cliché), because when a person continues to do what they want without caring about external opinions, that’s when they are at their most charming. I don’t want my friends around me to lose that.

This is my second year-end summary, and I hope to keep writing for ten years, looking back at it as a very precious memory.

Here’s to myself in 2023!