Bye 2021! I thank you for teaching me so much.

Let me start with a straight fact - People put their best life on social media.

You might see people posting about

• The amazing car they bought this year
• The high paying job they got this year
• The startup they founded this year
• Or, the business they expanded this year

BUT - you will never see them posting about

• How hard they worked day and night to be able to afford that car
• How hard they studied, how many rejections they had to go through before they got that job
• How many naysayers they had to face, how much struggle they had to do to gather enough funds
• How many haters they had to deal with.

So remember - things that you see on social media are the destinations, not the journey.

Be more interested in the journey

Now when you see people achieving so many things, you can either see the things that they have, compare them with what you don't have, and get demotivated,

OR - you can try to see the journey behind that and get inspired.

Attraction towards the destination brings envy and demotivation. Whereas, love of journey brings inspiration.

But, why am I telling you all this?

Here's the deal - it's the time of the year when you will see THOUSANDS of posts where everyone will mention what all did they do and achieved this year.

While looking at them, I want you to do something. I want you to write this in the comments section -

This is amazing! Can you please share your journey? Can you write a quick blog about where did you start, what all challenges did you face and how did you make it here?

And when you know the journey, all the comparison, envy, FOMO, and negative thoughts will be replaced by inspiration, respect, and motivation!

Something to remember...

2021 was a VERY tough year.

Even in my worst nightmares I never thought that there would be a time when the good morning posts on old Whatsapp groups will be replaced by lockdown guidelines and safety measures, and the motivational quotes on Whatsapp stories will be replaced with requests for Oxygen.

There is no one who wasn't physically, mentally, or emotionally affected by COVID-19 in 2021.

But all of this teaches us something very important, it teaches us "uncertainty" of life.

Given this uncertainty, it doesn't matter what all did you achieve, what matters more is how kind you were!

Every year, on 31st December, I write this article to ask you one question to help you introspect, this year I'm going to ask you 3 questions.

The first question

Were you kind?

This year, 2021, has definitely taught us the importance of life.

Almost everyone (including me), in the past, used to take most of the things for granted, but this year has taught us the value of every single thing.

Everyone you meet is fighting a different battle that you don't know about. The best we can do is - be kind.

Reach out to your friends, check how they are doing, offer help if they need it, give them assurance that you are there for them. These small acts of kindness can change someone's life.

The second question

What are you thankful for?

Another thing that the pandemic has taught us is that happiness lies in small things.

Sharing this from last year's blog - most people think that happiness lies in the destination.

• Once you get a good college, you will be happy
• Once you have that degree, you will be happy
• Once you have that job, you will be happy
• Once you have that car, you will be happy
• Once you get married, you will be happy

This year taught all of us that this whole equation is wrong, you will never find happiness if you are looking for it after success, even in the dictionary.

On the contrary, you will definitely find success, if you are looking for it after happiness (again, even in the dictionary)

The third question

What mountain will you climb in 2022?

There's a dialogue from one of my favorite movies (KGF) -

Powerful people don't come from powerful places,

Powerful people make places powerful!

Let's agree, no one knows when will things get back to normal. In fact, some people often say that this is the new normal.

So, instead of thinking when will things get better, when will work from home end, when will colleges open, when can we travel freely, when can we remove masks, and so on...

Start asking - how can I make my situation better. Start dreaming big, set high aims, and continuous goals, and keep progressing. Instead of waiting for the situation to get better, take responsibility to make your situation better.

So, what mountain will you climb in 2022?

***

Reflecting on 2021

Here are a few initiatives that I started and a few things that I did to proceed forward in my mission of empowering students in the field of tech and personal growth.

?? Being Better Playlist

I started this year with a few videos on personal growth, productivity and effectiveness.

Check out the full playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGyA74h_S9NrvsvTulWKHYAcaJJV9Kn1G

I'll add more videos to this playlist in 2022, so stay tuned ??

?? React Tutorial

In Jan, 2021, I started a mega react tutorial series, all the playlists are available on my YouTube channel, do check it out - https://youtube.com/TheLeanProgrammer

React Basics

Watch the full playlist here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGyA74h_S9NqJvvQ7-l9bUHHS6bMCkgo0

React Basics and Beyond

Watch the full playlist here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGyA74h_S9NppHNrzUSjMQbnuHS9jlAcY

?? The complete CSS Flexbox Tutorial

The part where existing React tutorials lack is - DESIGN!

I took feedback from a lot of people on how can tutorials be made better, and the most common answer was - they don't know CSS concepts but no React tutorial teaches it, they only focus on JavaScript side and completely ignore the designs of the webapp.

And here you go - the very next month I released a CSS Flexbox tutorial.

Watch the complete playlist here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGyA74h_S9NrkKnaIrYeOolru4EakosHY

?? React + TypeScript Tutorial

TypeScript is used more in the real projects due to it's strongly typed nature. And here you go! I created the TS tutorial in the next month.

Watch the complete tutorial here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGyA74h_S9NrjM7mUiSmpKfUntwEcgMB3

?? React Router + React Portals Tutorial

Well, what's remaining? It's React Router and React Portals, which I covered in my next tutorial.

Btw - in this tutorial I'll help you make your own portfolio website completely from scratch! Don't miss it.

Watch the full tutorial here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGyA74h_S9Nq-rRLG5pqEiaJ87H22S3BW

?? The complete Git, GitHub and Open Source Tutorial

Next in line was the Git, GitHub and Open Source Tutorial, you can take it as a quick crash course to learn git and GitHub.

Watch the full tutorial here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGyA74h_S9Nr9AVzTMora0Qp2W-TfqQ4E

?? The Lean Programmer LinkedIn Page

This was much awaited, now that we had a page on YouTube and Instagram, the only place remaining was LinkedIn, and how we are also present on LinkedIn

Follow us here to stay updated about the latest webinars, sessions and tutorials - @The Lean Programmer

?? Fresher's Connect

As another step to help the student community, I have bi-weekly talks (Ask Me Anything sessions) in various colleges to help students with their career doubts.

If you're a leader of any technical club/chapter of your college and reading this, I would love to collaborate with you as well, feel free to DM ?

?? The Lean Programmer Publication

My long awaited ambition - having our own publication - we finally started this year!

We will be going full on from next year, if you wish to be a writer in our publication, fill up this quick form - https://theleanprogrammer.com/writer-request

?? The Lean Space Community

Andddd, the best part - we now have a discord community as well.

Join it today - https://theleanprogrammer.com/discord/

?? The Lean Talks - Season 2

Last, but not the least. I've started the monthly learning sessions once again. Every month I will teach you something new through these sessions.

Check out the recording of the previous session -

And, don't forget to join me in the next one -

I'm super excited for the upcoming initiatives in 2022 - All for the community ??

***

Before ending this article (just like every year), here's a poem -

"Worth While" by E.W. Wilcox

It is easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows by like a song,
But the man worth while is one who will smile,
When everything goes dead wrong.
For the test of the heart is trouble,
And it always comes with the years,
And the smile that is worth the praises of earth
Is the smile that shines through tears.

It is easy enough to be prudent,
When nothing tempts you to stray,
When without or within no voice of sin
Is luring your soul away;
But it's only a negative virtue
Until it is tried by fire,
And the life that is worth the honor of earth
Is the one that resists desire.

By the cynic, the sad, the fallen,
Who had no strength for the strife,
The world's highway is cumbered to-day;
They make up the sum of life.
But the virtue that conquers passion,
And the sorrow that hides in a smile,
It is these that are worth the homage on earth
For we find them but once in a while.,        

Wish you a happy new year ?