I just realised that I haven’t blogged in the last eight months of 2025, a poor goal, like many others of mine. But then I thought, better late than never. Why not write a small blog reflecting on how 2025 was?
Personally and professionally, it was a very busy year, with accomplishments and achievements in both directions. It definitely wasn’t an easy or lazy year, but overall, it was a great year.
On a personal front, I pushed myself into areas I never imagined I would. For the first time, I completed:
- The Reading Half Marathon in 2 hours 30 minutes
- A second Shine night full walk marathon in 7 hours 10 minutes
- Ahalf marathon trail run (Beat Box Hill) with 700m elevation in 2 hours 59 minutes
None of these were easy; each required a lot of physical and mental effort. But I will pat myself on the back for achieving them. On average, I managed to keep myself physically active with about three days of exercise per week.
Holidayed in Tenerife and Mallorca, taking a much-needed leisurely break from monotonous life. Enjoyed the trip to Germany and catching up with friends. These journeys gave me moments to pause, reflect, and collect memories I will always cherish.
Literacy-wise, I don’t think I made the best use of 2025. One book I truly loved was Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King. After reading it once, I felt compelled to reread it immediately and make notes, probably the only book I’ve read twice back-to-back. I highly recommend it. I often refer to my notes to uplift myself. There are days when you feel low, when thoughts affect your productivity, efficiency, or even sleep. Regardless of whether the problem is with you or not, you may be the one who suffers and this book genuinely helps. I also started reading The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman. It’s a good book, but I couldn’t bring myself to finish it, my mind just isn’t ready for it.
I listened to several podcasts this year - Rest Is Classified, The Rest Is Science, The Diary of a CEO, and Legacy. At one point, I was in the top 1% listener of DOAC, though I no longer enjoy its content and hardly tune in now.
From a technical skills perspective, I don’t think I gained significantly, though I did make a few personal, work-oriented improvements using vibe coding. Honestly, without AI, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve those. I also made extensive use of generative AI to rephrase documents and sentences, improving efficiency in my day-to-day work.
Professionally, I am happy with my progress. Growing from a one-person team to nine members over five years, and then being positioned to lead an 18-member technology team, has given me a deep sense of satisfaction. I will always be grateful to my team and managers who saw potential in me and pushed me to do it. I do believe I struggle with imposter syndrome and often undermine myself. Everything comes with challenges, but I feel I have managed reasonably well so far. I hope to continue improving, managing better each day, and keeping myself safe and grounded.
Overall, 2025 was a great year. I promise I will write more blogs in 2026 than I managed in 2025. One done, one more to go, that’s how I keep my goals alive!
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