The new year, 2026, has started, and we’re already one month in, which feels like a good time for an update—or at least an update for whoever happens to be reading this across the world. Before getting into the new year, though, it’s worth recapping what happened last year.
Looking Back: 2025#
I had several significant life events occur, most notably my father having a stroke and being laid off from my job. I’m not writing this in search of sympathy, but rather as a way to process and express myself through writing. It was a difficult year mentally and emotionally, and that’s largely why I spent the remainder of it focusing inward.
In an effort to stay calm, grounded, and collected, I tackled a number of things I had put off for a long time. Most notably:
- Cleaned my garage.
- Fixed my mountain bike, which had bad hardware and wheels.
- Repaired both my riding mower and push mower and finally cut the grass. The riding mower had bad spindles, and the push mower hadn’t been used in three years.
- Actually played some video games and completed three: Doom Eternal, Dungeon of the Endless, and Onimusha: Warlords.
- Managed to lose some weight—about 10 pounds.
The Plan: 2026 Goals#
After spending time working on myself, I began to focus on what I want out of 2026. I wrote down my thoughts in a notebook and then had the (arguably excessive) idea to create a Jira scrum board to track everything. Below is my plan for the year and what I believe will help position me for my next role.
1. Upskill through certifications#
Hear me out—I know certifications can have a negative reputation, and some people view them as little more than memorization exercises. That isn’t my goal. I’ve been taking Udemy courses to learn and practice the material, and in the absence of a job, I want to stay active and intentional. The certifications I’m pursuing are:
- AWS Cloud Practitioner
- AWS AI Practitioner
- Certified Kubernetes Application Developer
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator
- Certified Argo Project Associate
- Terraform Associate
2. Revisit my passion for coding#
Once I complete some of the certifications above, I plan to revisit my passion for coding. Python has been a constant throughout my career, and I want to continue working with it while also expanding into other languages like Node.js and Golang.
3. Focus on infrastructure as code#
Programming languages are one thing; infrastructure as code is another. Technologies like Ansible and Terraform are high on my list. With the Terraform Associate certification already part of my plan, I’m not shying away from the DevOps world anytime soon.
4. Dive into artificial intelligence#
Beyond traditional coding, I want to explore artificial intelligence—not because of current trends or hype, but out of genuine curiosity and a desire to expand my toolset. Even with the looming concern that AI and machine learning could disrupt parts of my career, I’d rather learn, adapt, and understand where they fit.
5. Explore systems design#
I also want to dive deeper into systems design and explore what could have been. I spent many years at IBM and learned a great deal, but I also think working there limited my exposure to certain perspectives. Most of my experience was within data warehousing and cloud, and I didn’t spend much time outside that ecosystem. Looking at things like Gartner’s Magic Quadrant, IBM often occupied niche positions rather than leading the pack. Don’t get me wrong—it paid well—but I grew comfortable. Now I’m intentionally pushing into unfamiliar territory.
How I’m Tracking Progress#
Everything above is documented in Jira epics and broken down into smaller tasks. I didn’t do this entirely on my own, though—I discovered that Claude AI has a Jira connector and took the time to configure it. Once set up, I spent a few days prompting Claude to help generate and document my plan through Jira tickets.
Was it perfect? No. It hallucinated at times, overdid descriptions, and required cleanup. Still, it was a valuable learning experience and a way to offload some of the initial planning burden. I reviewed everything it produced and discussed ideas with friends rather than taking it at face value. It wasn’t about correctness—it was about momentum and getting a solid first pass down.
Current Status#
As of today, I’ve been studying for my first certification and have scheduled the exam for February 7th, 2026. I feel confident in my preparation and optimistic about passing. Once that’s complete, I’ll move on to the next certification and continue following the plan.
I’ve largely paused job searching for now. My goal is to be a prepared candidate rather than rushing into interviews unready. I plan to post more frequently going forward, as there are other thoughts and experiences I want to write about.
To friends, family, and anyone else who may be reading this: I’m doing fine, and I’m genuinely optimistic about 2026, not because everything is clear, but because I’ve taken the time to define what I can do next. I hope you’re doing well, and feel free to reach out.
P.S. I used ChatGPT and Claude as sounding boards while reviewing this post. Their feedback helped tighten things up, but the ideas and final edits are mine.