šŸ My 2026 Goals: Escape the House, Hack the World, and Write About It

Feb 4, 2026

Create Memory
A silver MacBook with a black screen sits on a stone surface near a beach, facing the sea. The laptop's case is decorated with colourful stickers, including one that says "Love your body" and another with the Redbubble logo. Behind it, a portable solar panel is visible. The scene is bathed in bright sunlight under a clear blue sky, with calm waves and a sandy, pebbled shoreline in the background—suggesting remote work or study by the seaside.
In this memory: Kaylen Stuart

Confession time: I’ve become far too much of a house human. While it’s lovely working from home during the colder, wetter seasons (central heating, snacks, decent WiFi and all the warm blankets), I’d like 2026 to be the year I rejoin the wider QA and tech world—virtually, physically, and socially.

So here are a few things I’m aiming for:

1. Hack the Leaderboard
Somehow, despite barely logging in last year, I’ve managed to stay in the Top 1% on TryHackMe. This year, I want to actively climb—my stretch goal is to hit the global Top 50. I’d also love to pick up a new certification or two while I’m at it. Time to brush off the virtual lockpicks and dive back in.

2. Write More, Think Aloud
I’ve started writing QA and tech articles on Medium and want to make it a consistent practice. Not just for the writing itself, but as a way to process ideas, share things I’ve learned, and maybe even connect with other testers who are exploring similar challenges.

3. Attend Meetups (and Maybe Even Talk to People)
The goal: stop being a house gremlin and start attending more meetups—online, in-person, or hybrid. I’ve lurked long enough. Even a small nudge toward being more social would be a big win for me.

Kaylen Stuart
Software Test Engineer
they/them
Loyal fan of coffee and chocolate. Giver of useless facts and pointer of things. Spent 10 years in games before switching to bath bombs. Favourite bug involved: ā€œfill room with penguins.ā€
Rosie Sherry
Hey, nice goals! 1. I don't really know much about TryHackMe, but in the MoTaverse you can earn stars and badges, we're working towards a leaderboard type thing, not sure what it will look like, but maybe it will interest you! 2. You can post links to anything you write by adding a lnk to the Observatory: https://www.ministryoftesting.com/observatory 3. Re: events, where are you based?

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