My reflection of 2024

Oh wow, I can’t believe I got a bit lazy last year and skipped my yearly summary for 2023! Nevertheless, taking a week off now provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on the current year, especially with the extra time thanks to a sleeping baby.

The last time I felt so dramatic was in 2018 – 2018: My crazy year 我的疯狂2018, when I changed jobs twice, embarked on full-time studies, and traveled to 11 countries in one year. The year 2024 was equally eventful!

My husband has become a colleague

Rui started working at Toyota in January, and amusingly, he joined the same team where I began my journey six years ago. It’s a pleasant surprise to reconnect with some familiar faces from his team.

Truth be told, I didn’t quite enjoy having him as a colleague. Our after-work conversations became less varied, and his hectic schedule didn’t help much with baby care and household chores, leading to a few frustrations.

On the bright side, it’s convenient to have him nearby at work. When we need to brainstorm ideas, having shared context definitely makes it easier.

2. My Blog Community Networking

At the start of the year, thanks to the amazing support from my parents and in-laws with childcare, I was able to kick off a few initiatives within my blog community.

In January, I organized an online workshop that turned into an offline brunch. It was a great way for us to meet in person and deepen our shared interests. A great online workshop with my blog community

March was all about an online career keynote webinar, featuring an inspiring role model. It was followed by an even bigger (40 people) offline networking lunch, which really helped us connect and exchange ideas.

In June, with help from my in-laws, I threw a fun birthday party for my son. It added a personal and joyful touch to our community activities.

3. Video Content Creation

One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2024 was to transition from blogging to creating video content to stay current with the trends. I invested significant time and money into this endeavor, creating all content in Chinese.

It was an enjoyable journey, but without a professional channel for marketing, and with fierce competition, it didn’t gain much traction. The engagement levels weren’t quite worth the effort.

I’m now considering whether it might be best to step back from this venture completely.

4. Returning to China After Six Years

This summer, despite the sweltering heat, we embarked on a month-long trip to China with our one-year-old son.

The last time we visited China was between the end of 2018 and early 2019. In 2020, COVID-19 struck, forcing us to cancel our plans. Since then, lockdowns and pregnancies kept us from returning until now—six years later!

Interestingly, the passage of time left little mark on my adult friends, but seeing their children grow up made me realize how kids are like living time trackers for us.

We spent an entire month in China, with three weeks dedicated to vacation and one week to remote work. Given the extreme heat in July, we spent most of our time cooling off in shopping malls.

Traveling with our one-year-old son was surprisingly smooth—he was a sweetheart! He slept through the flight, behaving like a little angel. However, upon arriving in China, he brought a potent virus from daycare, and our entire family fell ill one by one, including my four-month-old nieces.

6. Key Deliveries at Work

One of the greatest aspects of being a product manager is the opportunity to launch new initiatives. At the start of the year, I identified a gap in our operational workflow and collaborated with the IT department to launch an AI project.

This initiative quickly garnered attention, leading to several exciting opportunities. I was invited to record testimonials to promote our delivery team, speak at our divisional meeting, and play a key role in kick-starting our division’s automation knowledge. Simultaneously, this project inspired another department to launch a similar AI initiative for their products.

I am immensely proud of the impact my innovation has had and the legacy it leaves behind.

6. Moved to UK and changed role

One of the most significant changes for my family and me this year was moving from Belgium to the UK in September. Moving is perhaps the second most stressful thing after giving birth.

Thanks to my employer, I was offered a one-year international assignment at our UK office. My role shifted from a product manager (individual contributor) to a team manager with four direct reports.

Having been in the UK for three months now, I’ve experienced a huge cultural shock (which I will write about later) and have done my best to settle into my new role. I think I’m doing okay, but there are times when I feel quite uncomfortable, which is normal. Despite this, I’m happy because I am learning.

London is renowned for its Christmas decorations, so we visited the city this Monday and fully immersed ourselves in the festive atmosphere.

7. Music lesson

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have my parents and in-laws support with childcare, which allowed me to continue attending music lessons until June. However, juggling babysitting and work has left me utterly exhausted, and I haven’t had much time to practice. Hopefully, when my son gets a bit older, I can reclaim some of that time and resume my music practice.

8. Workout

Let’s be real: my workout routine this year has been a bit of a disaster. I had grand plans, but when it came to actually getting started, my mental energy decided to take a nap. Or I’d start strong, only to fizzle out faster than a cheap firework. So, when I saw the ad for a 20km run, I signed up on a whim, thinking, “Why not?”

Against all odds, I made it through the 20km—thanks in large part to the cheering crowd. I finished in 2 hours and 26 minutes, but honestly, I didn’t care about the time. I was just proud of myself for not collapsing halfway.

Now, you’d think that after such a feat, I’d be all fired up to stick to a workout routine. But nope! My excuse? Non-stop child care. It’s a pretty good one, though I know I need to get back into the groove.

As usual, the end of the year brings some serious self-reflection, so I’ve restarted my 5km runs. Wish me luck—I might need it!

9. Bucket list crossed

A few bucket list items were crossed in 2024 🙂

Jay Chou’s concert in Paris Jan 2024.

Paris Paralympic match and closing ceremony

Lion King show:

9. A proud Toyota Employee

Reflecting on my year, many incredible experiences, like the 20k run, the Paris Paralympic experience, and moving to the UK, were opportunities provided by my employer. Additionally, the Toyota open day event in September allowed me to proudly show my families my workplace.

10. New Year Resolution

My New Year’s resolution is simple: start enjoying my life in the UK and begin delivering results at work. There will be a few months without childcare help at home, but I’m hopeful we can manage it.

Wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, may 2025 be a successful year 🙂