My plans for 2021
2020 was a weird year and I have a feeling that 2021 will be more of the same but that hopefully won’t stop me achieving some of the stuff on my todo list.
How 2020 went
At the start of 2020 I laid out four things I wanted to achieve:
- Finish reading all 41 Discworld books
- Create a side hustle
- Go to New Zealand
- Get fitter
I managed to do two of these — Create a side hustle (I’m about to launch JiffyCV) and reading the Discworld books.
The New Zealand trip turned into another trip to Japan as British Airways had a sale around my birthday but that ultimately got cancelled due to the pandemic so we’re hoping to try again for April 2022.
Getting fit didn’t happen for a few reasons, the biggest being locked up indoors trying not to catch Covid-19 as my exercise routine is very much linked to walking around town.
The side hustle creation also played into the lack of being able to spend time trying to get fitter as I spent more time glued to my PC than out and about moving, I’m hoping in 2021 I’ll have moved into my first house and try a walking desk or something similar to counteract this.
Looking to 2021
I’m trying to be realistic with my plans for 2021 as I really don’t see the pandemic dying down any time soon, especially as this new variant appears to be far more transmittable and I live in the UK so I imagine Tier 4 lockdown will be nationwide in the new year.
Launch JiffyCV
This is pretty much already done as the app has been submitted to the app stores but I see this goal as more than just getting the app in the stores.
This goal is about taking my first steps into product ownership and learning how to build on an idea. I’ve already got a roadmap for the app but it’ll be interesting to see how user feedback re-prioritises the items on it.
I’ll consider this goal complete once we’ve got version 1.1.0 out the door which will add functionality that I’m hoping will make the app so much more valuable for users.
Get fitter
This remains on the list but this year I think I might achieve it as I’ve gone up a waist size so I’ve got a reminder but also because if I achieve my other goal of buying a house then I’ve got no downstairs neighbours to worry about if I want to do exercise at home.
I’ll consider this goal complete once I’ve gone back to at least a 30 waist and I’m doing some form of work out at least once a day and eating healthier (my girlfriend has a similar goal so we’re aligning our shopping to meet this).
Launch 766todo
This is a new web app I’m working on while I have some downtime from JiffyCV, it’s very much still in active development but as it’s web-based instead of a mobile app the time to live isn’t anywhere near as long.
This project is mostly a ‘I’m building this as it’s useful to me’ type of affair but if I’m able to spin that into an income stream then that’s even better.
I’ll consider this goal complete when I’m able to use the web app to replace my existing todo list.
Buy my first house
I had attempted to buy a flat just outside of Leeds city center in September of 2020 but due to the lockdown, the US election and the UK government not charging stamp duty this meant I was unable to get a mortgage deal I was comfortable with (there was 1 deal I was eligible for out of the 93 on my mortgage broker’s system).
I’m hoping around March I’ll be able to phone my mortgage broker again and the lending landscape is looking a lot healthier for me which means I can start looking again with an aim of having bought and moved into a house by the end of the year so we can have our first christmas in the new place.
This goal might not be achieved if similar factors mean that I still cannot get a good mortgage deal as while it does seem like the US influence (it still pisses me off that the actions of Trump impact my life in the UK) might disappear at the end of January, it’s hard to say if something crazy won’t happen and lenders will panic again.
I’ll consider this goal complete when I’ve moved in and I’ve successfully made my first mortgage payment on the first place.
Launch my other app idea
I won’t name it here but I’ve got another app idea in the works that I’ve yet to start work on but I hope will be another income stream as it’s a business to business offering.
I’m hoping I can start work on it around March time with an aim to launch it around July.
I’ll consider this goal complete when I’ve launched version 1.0.0 of the app and got my first paying customer.
Complete my Pokedex in Pokemon Home
Probably the only non-serious goal on the list but since Pokemon Home has now allowed transfers from Pokemon Go there’s a potential for me to be able to complete the Pokedex in Pokemon Home.
Doing this would mean that I’ll have Pokemon I can bring over to any new Pokemon games that get announced but it’s also just so I can claim to be some form of Pokemon Master.
I’ll consider this goal complete when I’ve registered all the Pokemon to Pokemon Home and I’ve unlocked the Original Color Magearna reward you get for doing so.
Is it achievable?
Aside from the goal of buying my first house, and maybe the JiffyCV launch there’s nothing on the list that shouldn’t be impacted by external parties so everything should be achievable.
I look forward to December 2021 when I read this back and see how far I’ve come.
