Reflections on the Past Year

Exactly one year ago, I found myself in Bangkok during a month-long trip through Southeast Asia—a journey that became as much about self-discovery as it was about escaping the grind. That trip marked a turning point. About six months before, my daily grind had become intolerable. Something had to change, and this trip was my first step.

This trip was more than just a holiday; it was an experiment. One of the most overlooked and underrated aspects of solo travel is how it strips away the usual variables of daily life. It’s just you and the world, free from the social expectations of people you know. I certainly got a better understanding of myself, and what I need and want. The return to normal working life was not smooth, and it became obvious that something has to change. After returning, I began this blog as an experiment, setting a modest goal of writing a post every month. While I didn’t fully meet that goal, stepping outside my comfort zone in this small way—putting my thoughts out into the world—had a significant impact on my life.

One of the root ideas I started with was the notion of being Comfortably Uncomfortable. At first, simply publishing that short, raw blog post was a significant step outside my comfort zone. Looking back at that nearly year-old post, I wonder: did I accurately describe my internal struggles? I described my issue with the repetitive nature of my work and life in general, but now I think that’s only a partial truth. It’s sort of easy and safe, even humble to describe a problem as purely a personal problem, but that’s really only a surface level take on a deeper and multifaceted issue. Another part of the truth was the conflicts at workplace and certain people associated with them, that also got under my skin more than I’d like to admit. Now with some time and distance between, those events and people feel rather insignificant, and that’s likely the core truth. I can’t say for sure, but I think I was reluctant to describe the whole struggle, because I was concerned what these insignificant people would think and feel if they’d read about my thoughts (which is actually quite stupid concerning how unlikely it would be for those people come across my writing anyway). One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned this year is that it’s far more important to stay true to yourself than to try and please everyone. I need to have the courage to be disliked.

While I touched topics like the distinction between Prejudice and Expectation, balancing between Productivity and Creativity, and a few more, the most consequential turned out to be the article on Cracking the Weekend Slump. While I still struggle with building my basic habits and making the most of the weekends, writing down a simple ‘Someday I will…’ list started the snowball effect.

A few months after writing that “Someday I will…” list and sharing it publicly, I landed a job in Switzerland. The thought itself wasn’t anything new for me, it was literally one of those ‘someday’ or even just ‘maybe someday’ ideas, but actually expressing what I want led me to take action on it. Showing my nonsense to the world actually makes me take more action. I discussed in my articles that some ideas are more work than others, and raised the moving abroad idea as the tricky example of the bunch. Based on my experience moving to Zürich, this was actually a false expectation. This made me realize I may have been overestimating challenges—and that perhaps I should set more ambitious goals for myself. We’ll discuss those goals in my next article.

Common to most themes in my blog is how much my thinking has evolved over the past 12 months. My posts now serve as a reminder of my personal growth, showing me where I was and where I’ve come. The final lesson of the year is simple but profound: I’m a different person than I was a year ago—or even a month ago. Growth is often invisible if you assume you’ve always had your current knowledge, but it’s only through reflection that I’ve come to appreciate how far I’ve traveled—both literally and figuratively.

How has your year unfolded? What lessons or transformations have surprised you over the past 12 months? Let’s reflect together. Share your thoughts below.