It's the last weekend of 2016, so by the calendar I should write my annual review. But so much has changed that I haven't sorted it all out yet, so I'll put that aside for now and look back on last week instead.

Last week, my two months of leisure came to an end, and I started a new job. I joined Youzan on December 26. I really like the atmosphere there and have adapted well, and I very much hope to accomplish something meaningful. That will be one of my priorities for a long time. My other priority is that Lu will soon give birth and I am about to become a dad. Balancing the two will be a major test. I have no experience to draw on, so I will have to learn as I go.

The other big event last week was my mom coming over from Shandong. Once I start work again, I will not be able to take care of Lu at home, so once again we had to call in my all-capable mom. I will be leaving my role as a stay-at-home husband behind and returning to early mornings and late nights.

My results for November's national software qualification exam came out, and they matched my prediction: I passed both the morning and afternoon sessions. During the exam, I copied down all my answers to the morning multiple-choice questions and checked them against the official answers as soon as possible. I predicted 48 points; my official score was 47. The afternoon went even better. I got the points I expected on the major questions and gave my best reasoning on the uncertain ones. In the end, I passed the Systems Integration Project Management Engineer exam. As for whether I will pursue project management, honestly, I am not sure. In broad terms, I want to make the most of my talents and abilities and create more value. The road ahead is long, and I will keep searching.

In 2018, I will be fully past thirty. Social media seems full of hostility toward middle-aged people, and there is no escaping it. "Greasy" is the word everyone uses. Greasiness is not only about appearance; more often it means losing passion and staying in your comfort zone so long that you lose the drive to grow. To avoid becoming greasy, I think you only need to do two things well.

Stay curious and hungry for knowledge. A former manager once said in a WeChat group that as people age, they lose the desire to explore and learn new things, and that this is simply nature. Seeing Bitcoin soar this year made me reflect seriously on myself. I first heard about Bitcoin in 2013 and wanted to buy some, but I did nothing until the end of November. I watched it rise hundreds or even thousands of times and missed out. In December, I studied blockchain and Bitcoin again, learned how they work and where they can be used, and put in a little money to buy Bitcoin, EOS, and IOTA. I firmly believe blockchain will change the world as more real applications emerge. Let's call that the positive side of going from missing out to reflection, and then to action.

A student mindset. Always think of yourself as a student. As Li Xiaolai says, there is only one lifelong profession: student. Change will only accelerate, and learning new things is always hard. But only by adjusting yourself, stepping out of your comfort zone, learning proactively, and moving in small, fast steps can you avoid being washed up on the beach by the next wave.

A greasy middle-aged man? Not happening! No matter how old I get, I want to remain a student who is endlessly curious about the world and eager to explore and learn.