Jonathan Bossenger

2023 has probably been my most eventful year since I started writing review posts in 2016.

I didn’t set any specific professional or personal goals for 2023. This is largely because my professional goals are very tied to whatever projects I am working on with the WordPress Training Team, and my personal goals are simply an extension of the existing goals I’d already set for 2022.

Training Team content creation

As a Developer Educator at Automattic working with the WordPress Training Team, my job is primarily to create developer-focused content for Learn.WordPress.org. Below is a breakdown of all the content I produced in 2023.

• published 25 new tutorials.
• created 2 new developer courses.
• hosted 58 online workshops.
• ran 24 WordPress development live streams.
• facilitated an in-person workshop at WordCamp Europe.
• launched the first Training Team course cohort.

This was probably my busiest but also most fulfilling year, as I thoroughly enjoy the work I do, and the people I get to work with each day.

Our primary focus for 2024 is the implementation of focused user Learning Pathways, which includes a complete redesign for Learn.WordPress.org. I’m excited to see how this project can more positively impact the lives of folks learning to use and develop with WordPress.

Travel

2023 was certainly the most travel outside of South Africa that I have ever done, in a very short space of time.

• In June I traveled to Athens, Greece for WordCamp Europe.
• In July I traveled to the Island of Kauai, Hawaii, for my team’s yearly meetup.
• In October I traveled to Malaga, Spain, for our company division meetup.

I’m not someone who enjoys travel, but I am slowly getting used to it, and planning better for it every time. Each of the above trips included its own set of unique and unexpected hurdles that I had to learn from to overcome. Fortunately, as my knowledge and experience in the realities of air travel grows — from last-minute cancellations to unexpected detours — so does my confidence.

It certainly does help to have a better way to keep me entertained during 10+ hour flights than just the in-flight movies.

Health & Fitness

2023 started well in terms of my health and fitness. In February I started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu again, in April I completed a 5.01km run in 30:24, and I was lifting heavier and heavier weights at the gym, edging closer and closer to my goal of 10 pullups with good form.

Unfortunately, after my trips to WCEU in June and Hawaii in July I managed to re-injured my lower back. Long story short and an eventual trip to a physiotherapist after the team meetup in October, and I discovered that I had herniated one of the lower discs in my spine. So I had to take a month-long break from everything while recovering from that.

On the plus side, knowing what the injury was, I could adjust my workouts. I took a break from jiu-jitsu, and started slowly running again, and I’ve managed to finish the year lifting the same weight I could before June. I can report that during my last workout of the year, I finally managed 10 pull-ups on the first set!

I also used that last workout week to determine the heaviest weight I can safely lift without assistance on specific exercises, to help me better gauge my improvements going forward. While the numbers are not that impressive, it does give me a base level to start from. I end the year being able to bench press 100kg and squat 105kg safely for 1-2 reps.

Personal

I only published 12 new posts on this blog in 2023, but at least that averages out to one post per month. I really would like to do more blogging in 2024, especially if it means I can review tech-related hardware and accessories.

I also would like to be more intentional about taking time off to spend with my family. With the different projects I work on and various trips I have throughout the year, I probably didn’t take as much time off as I should have.

If 2024 is going to be as eventful as 2023 was, I’m going to need it!