Not my best year, and that’s okay
but it taught me how fragile progress really is...
This isn’t going to be one of those usual deep dives where I overthink a theme for the month and try to sound overly self-aware.
This one is simpler.
It’s a gratitude note. Mostly to myself. Partly to the year.
Because if I’m being honest, I don’t think I did my best this year across most domains.
I didn’t work as hard as I could have professionally
I didn’t train as hard as I know I’m capable of
I didn’t hit my financial or material goals.
I still didn’t travel outside India
I didn’t hit my body goals
On paper, that looks like a miss.
And it would’ve been easy to spiral there. To call this a wasted year and move on.
But when I zoom out, I see something else.
Despite everything, this year was still better than most years I’ve lived. And that only happened because of the work I’d put in before this year even started.
I’m not jobless. I don’t lack clients. I’m not unhealthy. I’m not alone. I’m not starting from zero.
That didn’t happen by accident.
It happened because I kept moving forward, putting on muscle slowly, building communities patiently, investing in friendships, giving more than asking and staying away from motivations that feel good in the moment but rot you over time.
Most lows in life exist to remind you of two things: your capacity for highs, and how much potential you’re wasting when you’re not locked in.
Most people don’t need a massive plan to change their lives.
They need one strange decision. One moment where they stop negotiating with themselves.
I saw that many times this year.
Friends who changed careers for the fourth time.
Moved countries.
Became Ironmen.
Ran marathons.
Won gold at competitions.
Landed great jobs.
None of it was magic.
It was just a little more effort than everyone else around them. A little more seriousness. A willingness to be slightly strange after promising themselves they wouldn’t quit this time.
That’s it.
When you put in work selflessly, lawfully, and without obsessing over the outcome, it has a way of circling back.
2025 was that kind of year for me.
A year of maintenance and also a year that reminded me how fragile everything really is.
Working hard isn’t optional. And it’s never “done.”
At best, it earns you the right to pause for a moment.
Because if you don’t step forward again, someone else will.
And one day you’ll look up and wonder what just happened.
What happened is simple.
You stayed still.
Someone else put in a thousand extra hours.
Now, a few things from the year that are worth looking back on:
Went to a real desert
Learned how to fight
Worked with incredible companies and, more importantly, incredible people
Cut my beard after half a decade
Ate some of the best food of my life → pizzas, sandwiches, thalis, coffee
Learned how to surf
Went on my first all-boys trip
Took professional fitness coaching (waste of money, common sense + ChatGPT works better)
Started running and finished my first half-marathon
Started, ran, and shut down a serious startup opportunity with two friends
Went on many first dates
Learned to code (vibe-code)
Bought my dream beast of a MacBook
Wrote this newsletter consistently for 12 months straight
Celebrated every important moment with family and friends
Partied a little too much
Got a tattoo
Saw beaches more times than I can count
Attended my first (and second) concert/ music gig
And finally, a few pieces from the year that I really enjoyed writing:
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Lastly, I’m grateful for you. All 78 of you who subscribed and gave me five minutes every month to read one overthinking spiral, I decided to put it out into the world. I write these without filters or guardrails, mostly trying to make sense of things I’ve struggled with, learned from, or barely figured out myself. If any of that made your life a little easier, or even made you feel less alone in your own head, that’s more than enough for me.
If you’ve enjoyed these stories and this newsletter, and you think a friend might too, share it with them. That’s the only growth loop I care about.
That’s it from me. We take this aggressively this year.
—t
Wow! It made me reflect on my 2025 from a different perspective.
What's the tattoo about