Although it’s a little late into January, I would still like to do a little review on the past 12 months in the year of 2024. It also happens to be the first ever written review I have done in my life. Now, it’s not that I have never done any reflection on the past years before, I just haven’t documented any.
Usually, I would just be looking forward to the next year. Just like many others, I would set new year resolutions for myself for the new year and roughly plan on how to achieve them. I even made a vision board with my girlfriend, so that I’ll be reminded of my goals every single day. But one thing I have never done, is to sit down and write a proper review on the year that has just pass.
It’s interesting to me how, up to this point, I have yet to meet someone who writes a personal annual reviews before. I am referring to personal reviews, not the ones you have with your boss. Given how personal an annual review may be, perhaps it’s not something people would readily share.
Due to my limited knowledge and experience on writing an Annual Review, I figured that having a structure in mind would be beneficial. Thus, for my Annual Review, I will be using the 3 questions that James Clear uses for his.
The 3 questions that I’ll be using as a guideline are as follows:
1. What went well this year?
2. What didn’t go so well this year?
3. What am I working towards?
And without dragging it any further, here’s my 2024 Year Review.
1. What went well this year?
Career – 2024 marks the second year of me graduating from University and working full time as a Software Developer. It is also the year where I completed my graduate program with the company and received a conversion to become a permanent staff.
Travel – “I will travel more” was one of the goals I set for 2024. I used to see it as a pain to have to make flights and pack luggages. However, 2024 has certainly changed my perspective. I visited Japan and Australia, both for the first time ever. Worlds apart in their cultural offerings, yet both sharing its own kind of freshness completely transformed my outlook on travel. I would go as far to say that it has turned my previous dislike into a newfound passion.
Fitness – I did a total of 3 races (2 Half-Marathons and 1 Marathon) in 2024 and got my PB timings in the Perth Half-Marathon and the Marathon. I fell sick twice during the 16-Week Marathon prep and was more than an hour off the timing I was trying to hit. It was a PB nonetheless so I’m still happy with what I’ve accomplished.
Relationships – I used to struggle with finding the balance between individual ideals and compromise, but things felt way better last year. The concept of “Give and Take” is fundamental to a healthy and balanced relationship, but it’s only possible with proper and open communication as its foundation. (Bubby, if you’re reading this, I am truly thankful to have you.)
2. What didn’t go so well this year?
Things won’t always go as planned right?
Weight loss – I failed to lose any significant weight this year. At the beginning of 2024, I told myself that I will drop my weight from 94kg down to ~85kg for the sake of feeling lighter and running faster. I did get my weight down to 89kg, but I gained it back when I started lifting more and running less. As of January 2024, I am back to 94kg.
Content Creation – I aimed to create video content and post them frequently on YouTube. Well, it didn’t work out too well. I struggled to meet my own deadlines multiple times, before realising that I was not as interested in it as I thought I was. Though, I’m glad that I gave it a shot.
Staying healthy – This was probably one thing I never thought I’d struggle with. As I went about trying to achieve the things I set out to do for 2024, I fell sick a total of 5 times. A full recovery took an average of 2 weeks each time, which totals up to 10 out of 52 weeks of not being a 100%. Even though it was just shy of 20% of the year, the effects it had on my training and mentality was tremendous. It felt like a huge setback each time and all the work I put in prior was gone just like that.
Finances – Around May 2024 was when I cleared my student loan. To keep it vague, based on a rough calculation of how much I’m supposed to have saved since tells me that I haven’t been financially responsible.
3. What am I working towards?
This section is where I write about my long term plans that I am working towards. Here are some of the things I have already planned for in 2025.
Writing – One of the things that I have always wanted to do is to build a consistent habit of writing. Writing has always been my weak point, but I would love for it to be my main consistent form of creative outlet.
Lift Heavy, Be Kind – Though this is the name of Mitchell Hooper’s apparel brand, I found myself loving the message. We often get caught up in our own heads and subconsciously treat others meanly. I’m very conscious of that. So for the rest of my life, I’ll strive to lift heavy and be as kind as possible.
Athleticism – As someone who grew up excelling in sports, I’m quite ashamed that I have somehow lost my touch. Instead of focusing on just running or lifting, I plan to train and become more well-rounded. Additionally, Hyrox 2025 Singapore has just been announced, which I will be attending with my girlfriend in the mixed race.
Study More – As someone who only took studying seriously in University (I pretty much failed my way through school and had to retake my A’s), I found myself enjoying the process of reading and gaining knowledge on certain topics. It’s something I haven’t done enough ever since I graduated and would love to pick it up again.
Last words
My experience writing this has been great. It serves as a reminder to be grateful of all that has happened thus far. It seems like the days of being in an unsettled position is far behind me. I am extremely fortunate to have a wonderful relationships with my family and friends, as well as a full-time job. I am happy with the progress that I’ve made in 2024, and I look forward to what 2025 has in store for me.
Zen Yi 