https://omaciel.github.io/tags/personal-growth/Recent content in Personal Growth on Og Maciel's JournalHugoen-usThu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://omaciel.github.io/posts/2026-01-08-built-to-last/Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://omaciel.github.io/posts/2026-01-08-built-to-last/<h1 id="built-to-last">Built To Last</h1> <h2 id="on-learning-by-building-lowering-the-bar-to-entry-and-the-quiet-legacy-of-useful-work">On learning by building, lowering the bar to entry, and the quiet legacy of useful work</h2> <p><img src="https://omaciel.github.io/images/built-to-last-01.png" alt="Illustration generated using AI image tools, prompted and directed by the author.">Built To Last</p> <p>From the very beginning, when I first got my first computer—around the age of 11 or 12—I felt inclined toward building things that were helpful and useful to others. Like many of my friends who eventually went into the computer industry and became software engineers, it all started with games. The thrill of writing your own game—something other people could use and that you could show off to your friends—was incredibly exciting to me.</p>https://omaciel.github.io/posts/2026-01-05-the-day-i-didnt-quit/Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://omaciel.github.io/posts/2026-01-05-the-day-i-didnt-quit/<h1 id="the-day-i-didnt-quit">The Day I Didn&rsquo;t Quit</h1> <h2 id="on-ego-alignment-and-the-power-of-pausing-before-you-leap">On Ego, Alignment, and the Power of Pausing Before You Leap</h2> <p><img src="https://omaciel.github.io/images/the-day-i-didnt-quit.png" alt="Illustration generated using AI image tools, prompted and directed by the author.">The Day I Didn&rsquo;t Quit</p> <p>After working for 2.5 years as a consultant at a governmental agency in New York as a software engineer, I took advantage of the fact that my position was eliminated after a silly argument with my then-manager and started looking for something new. My wife and I were expecting our second daughter, and the thought of continuing with the same schedule and routine I’d had for the last 2.5 years felt unbearable—something I simply wasn’t willing to do anymore.</p>https://omaciel.github.io/posts/2025-10-30-the-student-in-me-never-left/Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://omaciel.github.io/posts/2025-10-30-the-student-in-me-never-left/<p><img src="https://omaciel.github.io/images/the-student-in-me-never-left-cover.jpeg" alt="Cover Image"> <em>Library in the morning hours</em></p> <p>This morning I started work late because I had to run a couple of errands. First, I was supposed to pick up my dad and take him to the mechanic so he could get his car, but it turns out the place only opened later and I couldn&rsquo;t wait for it. So it was on to the second task of the day: taking my 18-year-old daughter to her school for an in-person exam.</p>https://omaciel.github.io/posts/2025-10-15-why-im-trading-smart-goals-for-heart-goals/Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://omaciel.github.io/posts/2025-10-15-why-im-trading-smart-goals-for-heart-goals/<p><img src="https://omaciel.github.io/images/why-im-trading-smart-goals-for-heart-goals.jpg" alt="Cover Image"></p> <p>A couple of weeks ago, I was having coffee in my kitchen and browsing Substack when I came across <a href="https://substack.com/@courtneycunningham/note/c-161872841">a note from Courtney Cunningham</a>, where she declared that she was done with the so-called SMART goals.</p> <p>SMART, as you probably know, is an acronym that stands for <strong>Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Time-bound</strong> — a framework for structuring professional and personal goals. If you’re in a leadership position and responsible for helping others achieve their aspirations or close knowledge or behavioral gaps, chances are you’ve heard of SMART goals.</p>