Seriously Calm

2025 Past Year Review

Annual Reflections // Life Ledger

01 / Positive – What Gave Me Energy

Highlights, victories, and milestones that illuminated the past twelve months.

  • Achieved my ultimate running target with my first sub-4 marathon on December 21st, alongside a personal best sub-50 10k run using Runna.
  • Wrote Chinese Quasi-poems.
  • Built a website completely from scratch using Flatsome, learning how to configure hosting systems, setting up a self-hosted Actual Budget account, and integrating Stremio.
  • Completed formal CPR and AED certifications, trying Rope Flow frameworks, swimming regularly, and hiking.
  • Writing an itemized list of dreams and successfully implementing a "3 things" daily clarity routine.
  • Exploring the city.
  • Extended personal travel and family trips, anchoring morning nutrition with clean overnight oat breakfasts and maintaining steady investment strategies.

02 / Cultural Registry & New Thoughts

Watch & Drama Registry

Hong Kong Four Trails (holding the title for both favorite film and favorite show), Conan O’Brien’s Dartmouth commencement speech, Seven Samurai, Better Call Saul, Rick and Morty, Shambhala, Playing the Orchestra 2014, Rules for Rulers, Warfare, and 黑白大厨2.

Audio & Audio Series

BBFFMF, All-in Podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, Modern Wisdom, and 呱吉直播.

Collected Reading Reserves

Buddhism Plain and Simple (justly claiming favorite book of the year), 關於地球的運動, 貿易大歷史, Things Become Other Things, 東京日日, 禪學入門, 銀河英雄傳説, 强風吹拂, 一行禪師講心經, 八月的御所球場, 馬克白的命數, 課長島耕作, 世界上最透明的故事, 格外的生活, 明朝那些事兒, Useful but Not True, and Children of Time.

Internal Insights & Epiphanies

"I feel like I don’t have the permission to be too happy." // "I accept." // Rules are sets of requirements that can be juggled smoothly. // Integrating the statistical calculation of Micromorts into risk assessment frameworks.

03 / Negative – What Drained Me

Acknowledging personal friction points, boundaries crossed, and adjustments needed.

  • Drift away from my family and close friends.
  • Struggling to say No and neglecting to establish clear, protective boundaries.
  • Falling short of practicing willing acceptance when external situations changed.
  • Not enough gym training.
  • Excessive screen time.
  • Insufficient sleep.

04 / Focus for 2026

Do More

  • Running and maintaining persistent physical momentum.
  • Setting out concrete targets and achieving them.
  • Spanish language proficiency.
  • Actively seeking out deeper, unfiltered direct experience out in the world.

Avoid & Eliminate

  • Lapses in discipline, specifically regarding diet and exercise.
  • Unproductive, passive screen time.
  • Mental or emotional numbness amidst day-to-day routines.

05 / 40 Questions I Asked Myself

1. What did you do this year that you’d never done before?

A sub-4 marathon.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions?

I managed to double down on running, scoring the execution at a solid 7/10.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes.

5. What cities/states/countries did you visit?

Morocco, Japan, and Vietnam.

6. What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year?

A business or a side hustle.

7. What date(s) from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

December 21st — the exact day I completed my first sub-4 marathon.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Conquering that milestone.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Losing care and intentionality toward life.

10. What other hardships did you face?

Losing a family member.

11. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Back pain

12. What was the best thing you bought?

On Running technical cap.

13. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Nil.

14. Whose behavior made you appalled?

Nil.

15. Where did most of your money go?

Investment, travel and food.

16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Many genuinely good things, though none felt particularly exciting.

17. What song will always remind you of this year?

人生馬拉松 by Eason Chan.

18. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?

Sadder, thinner, and richer.

19. What do you wish you’d done more of?

"Do More" above.

20. What do you wish you’d done less of?

"Avoid" above.

21. How are you spending the holidays?

Travel with friends and family.

22. Did you fall in love this year?

Yes.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Yes.

24. What was your favorite show?

Hong Kong Four Trails.

25. What was the best book you read?

Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery of the year?

方大同 (Khalil Fong).

27. What was your favorite film?

Hong Kong Four Trails.

28. What was your favorite meal?

Meal with the entire family out in Fukuoka, Japan.

29. What did you want and get?

Nailing my sub-4 marathon safely.

30. What did you want and not get?

A side hustle.

31. What did you do on your birthday?

Experienced a complete blackout in roughly 25 years.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Spending a larger time with my family.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion this year?

Strictly functional

34. What kept you sane?

I can still execute and accomplish difficult goals.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you admire the most?

Derek Sivers.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

The ongoing decoupling of China from the world.

37. Who did you miss?

My close circle of friends.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Reconnecting with old friends.

39. What valuable life lesson did you learn this year?

People you deeply treasure can be gone in a single minute.

40. What is a quote that sums up your year?

Suffering = Pain × Resistance