An Update to 2020
Tags: programming, productivity
Published: 2020-07-15 18:26:27

---
title: An Update to 2020
published: true
date: 2020-07-14 23:24:02 UTC
tags: programming,productivity
canonical_url: 
---

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/500/0*44PygPFFoXeuSpNv)

2020 is a shitty year. It takes the cake. No other year can compete. I want to focus on what happened and my goals going forward this year. For a full reminder for what I set out to do this year, read the post below. Otherwise keep reading, this covers the same thing.

[2020: Bringing in a New Decade](https://dev.to/jmspace/2020-bringing-in-a-new-decade-4jb3)

Well, the start of the decade comes with a pandemic, racial injustice, and a government (and president) that clearly is lost about how to handle all of this. The pandemic has shown how disorganized the government is and what they truly care about. Racial injustice has always been an issue and will not go anywhere anytime soon. We are still arguing about whether racism exists and to what degree does racism exists.

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/500/0*SbOmRvnb9GBKgThC)

### Coding Goals

**Start learning React**

I wanted to use the first 6 months creating React projects. That goal has changed. I went through a tutorial and was lost trying to make changes to it. React will be something to come back towards the end of the year.

**Create a blog website**

I created a blog site using Stackbit and [Dev.to](https://dev.to/jmspace). This was easy to do, just follow the instructions and you will have a working live site. I then wanted to change the site around as far as colors, and layout of the menus. I will eventually add my portfolio to the site. The next goal for the site is to buy a domain name.

**Use Figma for web design and planning out web pages and projects**

I started using Figma to design my web sites. It’s free and it works great. I even redesigned my logo and banners with Figma. I want to get into doing posters and graphics in Figma sometime this year.

**Projects — 30 Days 30 Sites**

[Why I Started 30 Days 30 Sites…Again](https://dev.to/jmspace/why-i-started-30-days-30-sites-again-g70)

I came back to this project to revise the sites that I did and to finish the ones that I never started. So I have revised and updated 6 sites. This project has slowed so that I can learn new things. The goal is to learn something and design the webpage. Then make the site around that new thing I learned. I want to add more JavaScript functions to these sites.

### Blogging

I wanted to write a blog post once a month and that’s what I have been doing. Check out the rest of my posts if you want. There has been a couple of months where I have posted twice. A couple of my posts on Medium have reached 1k views. That’s nice to see, people reading or at least viewing my posts. Thanks to those who are reading them.

### Get a Bill paying Job

I started a new job in June. It’s work from home, you don’t have to leave your home because of the pandemic, we were always a remote type of job. So there has been a struggle in finding a job for me. I have lowered my qualifications to find a job. It was hard. I was looking for a job like this for over 2 years and been looking for a job for 4 years.

So this year outside of the obvious things have been good. Coding projects are slowly coming along. Blog posts are being put out at a regular pace. Hopefully, getting through the rest of the year goes well. I’m keeping positive and reasonable thoughts through this.

### Smaller Goals

**Books**

Books read this year: 10

Reading goal for 2020: Read 15 book

Best book read so far: With the Fire on High and Becoming

I lost access to Libby at the start of this pandemic. This left me without the ability to read books for 3 months. Libraries were closed and phones weren’t being answered. Having your library card expire through a pandemic was rough. So now I am using Hoopla and Cloud Library with a library card for the city I’m currently in, so I don’t have to worry about getting the card renewed.

**Painting**

I started painting this year. I brought paint awhile back and have started painting. It’s just simple paintings, nothing that’s great. I just wanted to find a hobby that didn’t involve a screen. Something away from the Internet and phone.

**Japanese**

I decided to learn Japanese so that I can follow along with anime without the subtitles. So far, I have learned Hiragana and Katakana, along with some basic phrases. I am working at this slowly. It has taken 6 months just to learn Hiragana and Katakana. I won’t be recognizing any words off the back but, I can recognize most Hiragana when I see it.

So, how has your 2020 been treating you? Any new skills acquired, new binge watchable shows? Focus on the positive things that this year has brought you so that you can get through the rest of the year.