Reflecting on 2024 and Thoughts for 2025
This year has been a good year. 2023, I'd described to friends as mid. It's not that it was a bad year for me, but each previous year I felt had built on the one before it. For the first time that chain was broken in 2023. Well, I'm glad to say the chain is hopefully starting once again.
The beginning of my year was quiet until February, where I went to NYC to see some friends. In April, I visited Tunisia with a friend I'd not seen for over a year and received a culture shock. It'd been nearly ten years since I'd been to a non-Western country.
But the most influential decision on my year would come a month later.
In May 2024, I rejoined the Labour Party. And I had no idea just how influential that decision would turn out to be. Campaigning for the party during the general election led to me finding new friends, feeling more at home and meeting my girlfriend.
Since moving to London, I've not properly felt at home. I love it here, but it's a city with so many people doing their own thing that other people almost don't seem real. It's a true NPC playground. From campaigning though and becoming more involved locally, it's now really feeling like home - mainly where I live in Islington. In 2025, my lease ends and I have to find somewhere new to live. The one rule I have is that I'm staying in Islington. Staying in this community is so important to me.
While I intend to stay in Islington, change is happening elsewhere in my life. I'm moving on to a new company after three years at my current company. And with that, a 33% pay rise. I've learnt so much where I am now and have made many friends. It's been satisfying going from zero to one with a product and seeing the journey of a startup. But I felt like it was time for me to move on to somewhere else and take on a new challenge.
Before heading home for Christmas, my week felt like a living summary of my year. On Monday, I was at an event in Parliament followed by discussing Someone's future. Wednesday, I was at the Arsenal game with my girlfriend. And Thursday, having dinner with my girlfriend, flatmate, another Labour friend and one of the UK's leading IVF doctors who'd taken me under her wing during the GE campaign.
So going into 2025, my key theme is 'taking myself more seriously'.
From spending ridiculous amounts on ready meals to having cluttered living spaces, I realise that there are big changes I need to make. Take my health more seriously, take my environment more seriously, take my work more seriously.
Off the top of my head, there a few things I want to improve. A big one is quitting nicotine. I'd gone a month off nicotine twice in 2024. But I struggled with the pavlovian effect it had over me. Every time I wanted to work, I felt like I needed a pouch on my upper lip. Getting off this habit will take discipline, but that discipline in one area will only beget discipline in more areas.
On the wider theme of health I know that I need to drop some body fat. My diet recently has been poor and I'm prone to binge eating on junk food and generally having too large portion sizes. My recent health scan shows no bad signs here, but I know that as I get older I have to stop doing this since I can't rely on my metabolism as I have before. What my health scan did show was that my blood pressure, while good now, will worsen to the point it's high when I'm in my 50/60s. So increasing my cardio exercise intensity is crucial.
Beyond health, there are more things I want to do. Attend more events, involve myself more locally, make a good impression at my new job and adjust my financial situation (too exposed to higher-risk assets currently). Not to go too 'optimise bro', but setting personal OKRs each quarter that tie to this is something I'm going to do in 2025. And tying that to my monthly updates gives me more accountability on them too.
To boil it down, I want 2025 to set 2026 up to be a good year and continue the chain. But what I've learn from 2024 is that I'm back on track. What a year it's been and I can't wait for what's in store next year.
So here's to 2024. It's been great.
The beginning of my year was quiet until February, where I went to NYC to see some friends. In April, I visited Tunisia with a friend I'd not seen for over a year and received a culture shock. It'd been nearly ten years since I'd been to a non-Western country.
But the most influential decision on my year would come a month later.
In May 2024, I rejoined the Labour Party. And I had no idea just how influential that decision would turn out to be. Campaigning for the party during the general election led to me finding new friends, feeling more at home and meeting my girlfriend.
Since moving to London, I've not properly felt at home. I love it here, but it's a city with so many people doing their own thing that other people almost don't seem real. It's a true NPC playground. From campaigning though and becoming more involved locally, it's now really feeling like home - mainly where I live in Islington. In 2025, my lease ends and I have to find somewhere new to live. The one rule I have is that I'm staying in Islington. Staying in this community is so important to me.
While I intend to stay in Islington, change is happening elsewhere in my life. I'm moving on to a new company after three years at my current company. And with that, a 33% pay rise. I've learnt so much where I am now and have made many friends. It's been satisfying going from zero to one with a product and seeing the journey of a startup. But I felt like it was time for me to move on to somewhere else and take on a new challenge.
Before heading home for Christmas, my week felt like a living summary of my year. On Monday, I was at an event in Parliament followed by discussing Someone's future. Wednesday, I was at the Arsenal game with my girlfriend. And Thursday, having dinner with my girlfriend, flatmate, another Labour friend and one of the UK's leading IVF doctors who'd taken me under her wing during the GE campaign.
So going into 2025, my key theme is 'taking myself more seriously'.
From spending ridiculous amounts on ready meals to having cluttered living spaces, I realise that there are big changes I need to make. Take my health more seriously, take my environment more seriously, take my work more seriously.
Off the top of my head, there a few things I want to improve. A big one is quitting nicotine. I'd gone a month off nicotine twice in 2024. But I struggled with the pavlovian effect it had over me. Every time I wanted to work, I felt like I needed a pouch on my upper lip. Getting off this habit will take discipline, but that discipline in one area will only beget discipline in more areas.
On the wider theme of health I know that I need to drop some body fat. My diet recently has been poor and I'm prone to binge eating on junk food and generally having too large portion sizes. My recent health scan shows no bad signs here, but I know that as I get older I have to stop doing this since I can't rely on my metabolism as I have before. What my health scan did show was that my blood pressure, while good now, will worsen to the point it's high when I'm in my 50/60s. So increasing my cardio exercise intensity is crucial.
Beyond health, there are more things I want to do. Attend more events, involve myself more locally, make a good impression at my new job and adjust my financial situation (too exposed to higher-risk assets currently). Not to go too 'optimise bro', but setting personal OKRs each quarter that tie to this is something I'm going to do in 2025. And tying that to my monthly updates gives me more accountability on them too.
To boil it down, I want 2025 to set 2026 up to be a good year and continue the chain. But what I've learn from 2024 is that I'm back on track. What a year it's been and I can't wait for what's in store next year.
So here's to 2024. It's been great.
