2025 Retro
This year was roughly split in thirds - paternity leave, a new job for 6 months and then another new job in the last bit of the year. Lots of other life happening alongside with time taken up supporting the generation above and below more than has needed to in previous years. Through into that major building work at home and surprised I even have time for this blog post!
The one blog post I did write highlighted how things like, say, changing careers or having a baby unsurprisingly meant less time for much else. This year have started two jobs - it always takes a bit of extra stress and energy starting out somewhere - am a big believer in putting a lot of time and effort in at the start and making good on those first impressions. Doing that twice in a year and also going through a quite intense job interview was a lot - plus throw in family/life things. Fortunately all the hard work seems to have paid off - v happy with the role I've ended up in - it's just right for where I am in life at the moment. Family things are settling down and while our house is missing some walls building work is in full flow.
Year in numbers
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books Read | 14 | 21 | 20 | 30 | 31 | 50 | 39 | 34 | 18 |
| KM Run | 39 | 193 | 1,830 | 455 | 1,082 | 1,796 | 2,472 | 1,642 | 1,083 |
| KM Swam | 2 | 25 | 105 | 138 | 124 | 67 | 50 | 116 | 125 |
| Yoga Sessions | 40 | 48 | 119 | 75 | 62 | 97 | 72 | 48 | 30 |
| Blog Posts | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 7 |
| KM Cycled | 0 | 45 | 395 | 166 | 3,385 | 498 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Story in the Stats
Not much to add - all the above meant not much time for things. Also lugging a little human around is surprisingly tough and ended up with various tweaks and pains. Happy to have kept the yoga up - aware not much cardio and can feel the lack of fitness both in shortness in breath and round the belly.
Books and art and stuff
Favourite books this year - Toast by Nigel Slater, All Fours Miranda July. Art stuff - hanging out in Florence.
Resolutions
The new job provides much more flexibility and am in a co working space right by London Fields - aim to get to the lido there a couple of times a week. Previous years have been there regularly and know how happy it makes me - making time in amongst everything else (while continuing the yoga) would be a successful year.
Summary
Big year - more things happened this year than have done in multiple previous years. Feel in a good spot and if everything continues on this track and I get to do a bit more swimming then will be a great 2026.