2025: Progress Sans Perfect Results
Reading Less, Learning More
Reading was one area where this became clear. I wanted to read 21 books in 2025, but I finished only 12. At first, this felt disappointing. Over time, I realized that the quality of what I read mattered more than the number. Books like Sapiens, Think Again, Factfulness, and Stolen Focus were not easy or fast reads. They required focus and patience, and they stayed with me long after I finished them. Instead of reading many light books, I chose fewer books with deeper ideas about history, responsibility, freedom, and attention. Reading less, but with more purpose, turned out to be a quiet achievement.
Training the Body, Respecting Rest
The same lesson appeared in my physical goals. I planned to go to the gym more than 118 times, but I did not reach that target at 105. However, something else improved: my sleep. By using the Whoop app mainly to track rest, I saw clear progress. My Whoop age dropped from 42.5 to 39.4 (still above my real age 🤣), and my daily sleep debt decreased from 0.45 hours to 0.16. I learned that recovery is not weakness. Real progress comes not only from effort, but also from rest.
Putting More Effort into Emotions
Emotionally, the year was demanding. Long work hours, conflicts and fatigue made relationships harder to manage. Still, being in a relationship for the whole year was new and meaningful for me. It was not always easy or smooth, but it was real. I am thankful for my partner, for patience on both sides, and for the small moments that made the year feel warmer. I move toward 2026 hoping for more time, better balance, and deeper presence.
Traveling Further, Staying True
Travel continued to shape the year and helped me keep perspective. I visited six new countries: Egypt 🇪🇬, the UAE🇦🇪, Bahrain🇧🇭, Qatar🇶🇦, Albania🇦🇱, and Serbia 🇷🇸 and returned to seven familiar ones: Vatican🇻🇦, France🇫🇷, Italy🇮🇹, Switzerland🇨🇭, Turkey🇹🇷, Germany🇩🇪 and Austria🇦🇹. I also traveled with my family to Træna 🇳🇴 for my sister’s wedding, which was a rare and grounding experience. While my travel map keeps expanding, my personal rule remains the same: I travel to places that feel different from home. For me, travel should challenge my thinking and help me understand the world better, while enjoying my vacation.
Earning Less, Gaining Time
Work and money also changed in unexpected ways. My goal was to earn 5% more while working less. Instead, I earned 9% less, but I reduced my overtime by 35%. This was not a financial win, but it was a personal one. I gained time and energy, even if my income dropped. In that sense, the goal succeeded, just not in the way numbers usually measure success.
Investing with Courage
At the same time, I took more risk with my investments. This was stressful, but the results were strong. My total investments increased by more than 28%, and my stock portfolio grew by 56%. The experience reminded me that careful and informed risk-taking can bring growth, even when it feels uncomfortable.
Learning Languages at My Own Pace
Language learning moved forward slowly but steadily. My French 🇫🇷 and Spanish 🇪🇸improved, especially in understanding. Speaking is still difficult. I would place myself at A2 level in both languages: stronger in Spanish, weaker in French. I planned to study Spanish more formally but had to stop because of work. Still, progress happened, and it feels like building a foundation rather than rushing toward fluency.
Spending More Than Planned
Not all goals went in the right direction. I wanted to reduce my expenses by 2%, but instead they increased by 12% 🤣, mainly because of family travel. This was frustrating, but also realistic. Life happened, plans changed, and money followed. It reminded me that goals must be flexible and grounded in reality.
Feeling Good, Even When It’s Hard
The most difficult part of the year was emotional health. The goal to "look and feel fabulous" was always subjective. Compared to 2024, I felt better then, but I still feel strong in a different way now. In 2025, I experienced panic anxiety for the first time and spent more time with my psychologist than before. I needed that support, and I do not regret it. Physically, I gained about five kilos and became overweight, but I also became stronger. I can lift heavier weights than before. This year taught me that strength and struggle can exist at the same time.
Looking ahead, I want to move forward more gently, with clearer eyes and more realistic intentions. 2026 feels less like a reset and more like a careful continuation—a chance to refine what this year has already begun. I’ve narrowed my focus to seven quiet priorities, not as rules to chase, but as directions to return to.
Sleep: by slowly stepping away from night shifts, allowing my rest to become deeper, steadier, and more human.
Stamina: by showing up for my body, exercising at least 120 hours, lifting heavier than before, and letting at least three kilos go along the way.
Spending: by learning restraint and finally trimming my expenses by at least 2%, without guilt or rigidity.
Speaking: by growing more confident in Spanish and French, aiming for B1, while continuing to shape my voice in English and Norwegian, maybe even daring to start a podcast.
Sapient: by reading at least 20 books, including a few in Norwegian, and giving myself more time to think, not just consume.
Sentiment: by speaking more openly and more often in a stable relationship, meeting challenges with greater calm, and slowly deepening friendships.
Self-care: by traveling with intention, resting without apology, eating better, and spending more time with culture that nourishes rather than distracts.
This year did not feel like a finished chapter. It felt more like a draft: uneven, sincere, and still being written. Yet inside the missed goals and unexpected detours and conflicts, something meaningful took shape. I learned to choose depth over numbers, rest over constant pressure, and presence over perfection. If 2025 was about learning how to adjust, then 2026 will be about refinement; made quietly, patiently, through small and steady steps forward.
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