New Year, Same Me - My Goals This Year

Hi, Taq here.

I hope you all had a nice holiday season and a great start to the new year.

Last year was easily the craziest year of my life—full of incredible highs and some of the lowest lows. But one thing I stayed consistent with was learning. By the end of the year, I reached one of my goals: earning Google’s UX Design Certificate after months of studying.

I’m proud of this achievement. It wasn’t easy, but I learned a lot, especially about user-centred design, accessibility, and equity-focused design. These are areas I’ve always wanted to explore in more depth, and the course covered them extensively.

Now, with the new year here, I want to share my goals for 2025.

1. Make at Least One Small “Commercial-Level” Game

I love video games. During COVID, I started learning game development, and it’s been a constant source of inspiration and growth ever since. Last year, I made about seven mini-games by joining game jams almost every month. It’s been a great way to learn, experiment, and improve.

I also stepped into a new role as the art director at a local indie game studio, which has been an amazing opportunity to grow my skills further.

This year, I want to take things to the next level by making a small “commercial-level” game. What do I mean by "commercial level"? Well, so far, I’ve been creating “jam games”—quick, simple games with basic mechanics—and I’ve gotten fairly comfortable with them. Now I want to challenge myself with a more complex project, something with deeper mechanics and longer playtime. It’s a big step, but they say no pain no gain.

Me showcasing my games at Comicon 2024

2. Finish a Manga Story and Submit It to a Contest

If you didn’t know, I’m also a manga creator. I always sketch ideas and write story bits in my notebooks. This year, I want to focus on creating one solid, polished story and submitting it to a contest. It's not to win necessary (although I wouldn't oppose to it), but more to horn my storytelling skill.

For me, making manga feels a lot like game development. Both involve creating characters, building worlds, and telling stories. The difference is that with manga, you’re showing the story visually, while in games, people get to interact with it. I love both processes, and I feel like they complement each other.

3. Post Two Blog Posts Per Month

This one’s more of a professional goal, if the above two are my personal ones.

I’m not great at talking about my work—I usually rely on Justin for that—but I’ve been realizing how important it is to share what I’m working on and learning. Last year, I had a few opportunities to give talks, which I really enjoyed. It made me realize that I have a lot of thoughts I want to share, from UX design insights to little tips I’ve picked up along the way. Heck, I want to talk about my manga and game development, too.

Me speaking about UX/UI Design at RRC Inspire Conference 2024

So, writing about them feels like a good entry point for me. Starting with this entry, I’m committing to posting two blog posts a month: one personal and one professional. It’s a small step, but I think it’s doable, and I’m excited to give it a try.

Bonus: Read a French Book

I have been an avid reader ever since I was a child, but last year I only managed to finish 17 books—much fewer than I’d like. This year, I want to read more consistently.

At the same time, I want to challenge myself to read at least one “real” French book. My French is at best OK, not as strong as my English so I want to improve. I’ve read Le Petit Prince in French before, but this time I’d like to try something more advanced.

Considering my pace last year and the anticipated effort of reading a French book... I think it's fair to commit to one book per month and include at least one French book. I haven’t decided what to read yet—maybe something in mystery, sci-fi, or non-fiction—but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

I titled this entry “New Year, Same Me” because every year we are to keep working on the same sculpture: myself. These goals feel more like tools—like a hammer and chisel—to carve out my potential. The tools you need change depending on your progress. They should change and align with where you are in life.

I’m hoping these are the right tools for me this year, and I plan to share periodic updates along the way. Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading,

Taq