Another year done and I can’t quite believe thats a quarter of this century gone already. Doesn’t feel 25 years since Y2K.
Life
Let’s start with a quick work update. There’s much I’d love to say in public but due to the type of firm it becomes difficult quickly but safe to say it’s been a challenging and stressful year with many successes but also a few dings that I could certainly have helped steer in a different direction. Over two years now in director role and still learning but comfortable with many aspects of it that I wasn’t at the start. Looking back it was good to get uncomfortable and it’s something we all need from time to time.
What I do need to manage better is the work/life balance which hasn’t been good – and let’s be honest here, it’s never been good and got a lot worse recently. I must remember what one of my seniors has made clear more than once – we work to live and not live to work. I’ve seen too much time focussed on work, too many hobbies and things I want to do put on hold.
One indulgence this year was replacing the Synology NAS with…my own custom one powered by Unraid. It’s went well as an upgrade, it wasn’t cheap, but I’ve got something thats scalable and less reliant on Synology switching on and off features on a whim.
I also replaced the drone with a new Mavic 4 Pro. OTT for what I need and how often I use it but when has that logic got in the way?
One of my recent images is the one above from mid December when Glasgow was covered in fog but the drone (only just) showed what was visible above the gloom. I still love the different perspectives a drone can provide.
Health
A mixed year to be frank. Weight looks stable comparing year to year but I’d nicely dropped some kg’s at the start of 2025 only for it to come back on. Mostly related to bad diet and poor sleep – averaging just under 5 hours since around June.
A positive though is I’ve kept my daily walks going. I’ve set a target since 2020 of 2000km and this hit 3k for the first time. I find it. A great way to step away from technology, work and clear my mind. I’m also on day 3214 of my move streak – yes its become a thing.
Looking forward the main aim is to keep the walks going, improve the diet and more focus on improving the sleep which will in turn help the diet.
Media
Thanks to streamers, each year has felt like peak TV…and 2025 was no exception. Shows that you really should find time to watch in no particular order are:
- Andor – the best Star Wars since Empire
- Blue Lights – Season 3 was so good and that was after a bang average episode 1
- Celebrity Traitors – who didn’t watch this? And we’ve got S4 of the normal edition starting tomorrow!
- Adolescence – hard hitting, surprising and it deserves all the awards
- Task
- Ludwig
- The Pitt – this and Andor are at the top of my list for the year. A modern day ER.
- Severance – stuck the landing
- Race Across The World – both the normal and celeb versions are a great watch
Alien:Earth, The Diplomat, Dept Q, Slow Horses were also a good watch. The Studio on Apple TV was good but it never clicked as much for me – same with Plur1ous. Good concepts, enjoyable but something didn’t grab me.
As for movies I didn’t watch a many this year but still enjoyed Sinners, One Battle After Another, I Swear, Superman, Hard Truths, F1, Wake Up Dead Man and A Real Pain.
Finally on the gaming front two stand outs. Battlefield 6 was a great return to form of a franchise I’ve always loved and in the last couple of weeks Sektori which is a modern day love letter follow up to Geometry Wars. If you love twin-stick shooters and vivid bullet hell top down graphics then this is for you. The Switch 2 I’ve found to be a disappointing update. Non OLED screen and launch games that didn’t hold interest – Mario Kart World in particular – has left it largely untouched compared to the Steamdeck.
Whats Next
No resolutions but plenty to work on in the new year. This site also needs a spruce up and a bit of focus but I did say that at the start of 2024 and have left it pretty much untouched so we’ll see what 2026 brings. The year ahead feels in many ways less certain than what’s been before but I’m grateful for where I am right now and looking forward to what comes next.