Welcome to my 4th Annual Review, can you believe 2022 is over? It’s been a long 12 months, yet it’s gone so fast. Here’s my 2022 recap plus my plans for 2023. Note, if interested see 2019, 2020 and 2021.
~ Hi, my name’s Ash, I’m 27 and a cyber security enthusiast sharing my journey. You’ve received this newsletter as you subscribed via my website or downloaded a freebie. ~
Online Teaching Wins
It’s mid-2017, I’m 22 and it’s my first day on the job as an IT Tutor. I walk into an old classroom with 8 students looking at me ready for a lesson on project management. After months of prep, I open my generic PowerPoint on Gantt Charts and show Project Creep images I ripped off Google. I’m terrified but to my surprise, it goes well and I start enjoying it.
Five years later I’m still teaching but now online and thankfully with no painful PowerPoints. It’s the first calendar year as a full-time online ****teacher, and it’s been amazing. I have increased job security, income stability, and better life quality with lowered stress. It’s a true blessing.
I still miss my team back in the classroom and the students I made meaningful connections with. But I’m looking at ways to better connect with online students like video and live online sessions. I’ve always liked my job, but now I love it.
YouTube Rises
It’s the late 2000s, I’m in my mid-teens with my brother and we’re both over at his friend’s house. I see light beaming from an old boxy computer in the office while my brother and his friend are laughing. “You can type in anything and watch videos,” they said, so they type Dubai drifting followed by Jackass stunts which blew my teenage mind. So I ask “what do I search?” and they responded “I don’t know, fat people, falling or something”… yeah, that was my introduction to YouTube.
Now 2022, YouTube isn’t recognisable to its 2000s counterpart. Sure the “fails” genre has stood the test of time, but it’s now a viable business opportunity for those people who share videos on what they love doing. It’s something that has always fascinated me.
So, this year I started uploading semi-regular videos to my channel documenting my journey as I learn Cyber Security. I’ve fallen in love with the video process and optimizing my content. It’s a growing set of skills, and not to mention how much I’ve improved over the year in Cyber Sec.
It’s been a great year, sure it hasn’t been a strong high-growth year for the channel or the website. But a good year for personal development and it’s all heading in the right direction. 2022 feels like the foundation the house is built on.
Quarterly Catch-Up
Jan, Feb, Mar: Started 2022 slow to focus on the new work role, oh plus I had a nice new custom PC. Then eased into creating content with a few videos and blog posts. Started the first year’s course, TryHackMe’s Beginner Learning Path which was a mammoth effort.
Apr, May, June: Began the fitness journey (again) while feeling burnt out with content creation. Started the year’s second course CS50P and reached the ripe old age of 27. Met my workmates in person and then built a few Python Projects.
July, Aug, Sep: Got professional help dealing with negative thinking and took some time away on a short trip up north and saw the Great Barrier Reef. Then entered a coding competition and came 2nd before selling our car and simplifying our lives.
Oct, Nov, Dec: Started 100daysofctfs.com (and since forgotten about it), and published a ton of videos while completing TryHackMe’s Advent of Cyber. Got a remote personal trainer and have been at the gym 3-4 times per week while tracking nutrition, more focused than ever.
Show The Stats
Newsletter friends: 267 +200%
YouTube subscribers: 995 +231%
Blog views/visitors: 19,722 +38%, 11,762 +22%
Plans For 2023
Vision Statement: I will be more consistent and confident in my life. I’ll better think in public on Twitter while producing higher quality content on YouTube and the blog.
Key Point Indicators (KPIs): 2-5k YouTube subscribers, 400-500 newsletter friends, and 1-2k monthly views/visitors.
Focus Area: Improving the video and writing crafts, I’ll keep consistent with 1-3 weekly uploads while finding incremental YouTube growth. I’ll stay focused on my health and hit 3-4 weekly gym sessions while improving my nutrition.
Thanks to everyone in my life, my wife, friends, family, workmates and all you wonderful readers and viewers of my blog and channel. I appreciate all the leaders and creators making the internet a source of knowledge where we can all grow and benefit. All the best with 2023!
Keep to your course.