I want to end this year with a small recap and a self-note, mostly to write things down for myself and to look ahead to the next few months. I know my goals for next year, but I think it is better to visualize myself in the immediate future, taking many baby steps.

A "super small" win before the year ends: I got promoted to Senior Engineer at my current workplace. I am proud of it, but I think there are still many aspects where I can improve and grow further.

Instead of talking about 2025 achievements, I would personally love to remind myself of a few important lessons I learned this year.

Structure builds consistency and velocity

I had ups and downs throughout the year. Sometimes I was full of energy to take on all my goals and managed to finish a lot of them. But other times, I felt like doing nothing—stagnant and in a mode of complete disappointment. If I hadn't been consistent in repeatedly setting a balanced baseline for myself, I likely would have wasted that time and been unable to perform well in anything.

By "structure," I mean everything regarding lifestyle, expectations, and relationships. For me, those are non-negotiable platforms that support every decision I make and the valuable actions I focus on. That is what actually builds consistency, and later, velocity. A few things I have been trying to prioritize include: sleep, thinking time, fewer unexpected schedule changes, and larger blocks of focus time.

A good friend once told me that in order to aim for the most ambitious goals, I need to make changes to the smallest components of my life system. Everything has a structure for its own purpose, and my job is to find the structure that will help me achieve mine.

Tell myself more harsh truth

This section will be short because it is nothing more than avoiding the "Avoidance Pattern." No one is going to tell me the harshest truths more effectively than I tell them to myself. Realizing my weaknesses is only the first part; the more important part is accepting them and actually thinking about how to fix them.

A few truths I have admitted to myself:

I stayed in my comfort zone for too long. As an engineer, I need to build up my skills everyday and be ready to take on any challenge out there. Sometimes I lost my curiosity, afraid to take action and choosing easier paths.
I took on too many things at the same time. I have always known that focusing on one thing matters more than doing multiple things, but I simply overhyped my capabilities and stressed myself out for a while.

I have gotten more comfortable now with having those difficult conversations with myself. The good part is that it forces me to think and reason without neglecting critical problems, and actually changing my life.

Things I want to do next year

Be the person I want to be with. Be kinder, more helpful, and cherish moments with the people around me.
Dive into the unknown. I personally think that is the only way I can grow faster—by consistently taking on new challenges and setting ambitious goals.
Be more efficient with time. Work hard on important things, but leave room for thinking and personal life.

Few fun pics in the year: