A Year in Review: 2025

Me thinking about why I’m holding this balloon 🎈🧐
📸: Bonnie Tan

Hello friends, followers, and various people on the internet 👋 Happy New Year! 🎊

2025 was such a year of discovery and growth for me personally. And in the spirit of keeping up with my new tradition of getting this published exactly on January 1st, I started writing this blog post in mid-October 💪🏼 Fortunately, I was massively productive during the summer (July-Sept) and was able to catch up with my backlog of to-do items. Once I finished everything else, I was able to start early on this and not stress out about getting it done on time. Also, it’s crazy to think this is the 10th year in a row I’m doing this yearly review! 🎉

Table of Contents

Why Am I Writing This?

This post allows me to simultaneously:

Self-reflect on my past year
Share personal highlights with those who are curious or interested

These year-end reviews give me the space to recap memorable events, express gratitude, compile my personal statistics, and examine how much progress I have made on my personal goals.

My Tradition Since 2016

Since 2016, I’ve been doing these posts mainly for my own records. However, these reflections may also be beneficial to others, so I write them with the intention of a public audience reading them.

For those who don’t know, I do 3 other types of journal reflections: daily, weekly, and monthly. This yearly reflection is a compilation of those reflections, but formatted in a more digestible way for the public.

Past Years In Review:

In a separate post, I’ve compiled all of the 2025 Life Lessons I’ve learned this year. My hope is that sharing my own hard-earned lessons will benefit those who may encounter similar challenges. I also want to compile these into a book one day, since it’s my long-term dream to become a published author.

B.A.G. Format

For my yearly reviews, I use the B.A.G. format. The acronym stands for:

B = Blessings
A = Achievements
G = Goals

The idea is that to keep yourself happy and centered, you have to reach into your “BAG” every so often. This helps me focus on gratitude looking back, celebrating wins, and then redirecting my focus to the future.

What I’m Grateful For

Even though this section is mostly dedicated to who I’m grateful for, I also wanted to write out what things I’m currently grateful for, especially this past year in 2025:

Health

Losing another 12lbs (July-Sept) on my own after switching from online fitness coaching to self-accountability, as well as dialing in my diet with a set meal plan
My low back pain has reduced, and my mobility has increased due to more intentional mobility training and more frequent stretching (2x / day)
I’m basically in the best shape I’ve ever been in my entire life due to implementing the right systems at a low cost and requiring little to no discipline/motivation

Career/Projects

Finishing my Relationship Coaching website
Launching my online store for digital products (productivity, personal finance, relationships)
Completing the 1st full year of my podcast, One Thousand Gurus, with the dozens of guests who have kindly offered their time and energy to my show
Working with my friend Austyn to start the consulting/coaching program on how to help organizations build high-performing teams

Finances

Having a fully funded, 18-month emergency fund gives me the peace of mind knowing I have the freedom to do what I want and not be tied down by a job or debt
Completing my “house down payment” fund, so that I am ready at any time to buy a house when the time is right
Being able to live within 40% of my take-home monthly income (wants + needs), while saving/investing the other 60%

Spiritually

Finding and joining a new bible study group
Listening to more sermons and reading my bible more often

Special Individuals

My Parents

Mom – First and foremost, I’m always deeply grateful for my mom and everything she’s done for us (her kids). She already gets her shoutout every One Thousand Gurus episode, but my mom shows by example the importance of consistency, compassion, grace, and gratitude. The most important things in life aren’t necessarily what you achieve, but how you show up for the people who matter to you.

It was awesome to have her on the show as a guest for episode #42, not only as someone from whom people can learn a lot (myself included), but also as this show’s unequivocal #1 fan. I am constantly inspired by how much she continually wants to learn and grow. She has been going back to school, leveraging tools like ChatGPT to increase her own productivity, and possibly changing her career.

I always appreciate and look forward to our weekly check-in calls where we talk about what we’ve been up to the previous week, or upcoming plans & goals, as well as anything that has been on our minds. I feel like I’ve gotten much closer to her since we started this weekly routine, and I feel like I can open up to her about almost anything that’s on my mind, which is such a blessing to have.

Dad – My dad moved to the Philippines this past summer, but I always appreciate how he always takes the time to be present and connect with me whenever I visit. I also appreciate how he’s always working hard, learning new things, taking care of his family, trying out new hobbies, and still wanting to build his own business in the Philippines. I’m excited to eventually visit in the next year or so and finally meet that side of the family I’ve never been able to see.

Stepmom – Always grateful to my stepmom, who is always very loving, kind, and beyond generous. She’s also such a hard worker, always working long shifts and multiple jobs to be able to provide a better future for my little brother. I’m always inspired by her unconditional love for her family.

Siblings

Sister – Even though I haven’t seen or talked to my sister much this past year (maybe only once or twice), I appreciate her for still hanging in there and trying her best. Whenever she does come around, I’m sure it’ll be like time hasn’t passed. But still wishing her well for when she is ready to hang out with our fam.

Jacob – It was super fun to have my little brother be a guest on my podcast for episode #59, not only to do a part 3 of our ongoing “interview with a __” series, but also to catch up and get his perspective on life and his own career aspirations. I’m glad he seems to be getting the most out of his college experience, but also proud of him that he did a fantastic job despite being my youngest guest on the show.

Daniel – I’m also very proud of my baby brother for handling a lot of challenges that have been thrown his way this past year. Not only did he have to move to a new country right as he was entering high school, but from what he told me, his relationship with his parents has been very tough recently. He actually just broke his leg from an EUC accident this past month, but he seems to be recovering okay. I know they’re all dealing with stress due to many different things, but he’s doing such a great job handling everything with maturity beyond his years.

Grandparents

While all of my grandparents are amazing, particularly grateful to my grandpa, Adell “Papa” Gardner, and my grandma Linda. I see them at least once a year during Thanksgiving, which has been a recurring tradition for the last several years, and I always look forward to it. The last few years, we’ve been consistently having 3-4 hour chats about various topics with my mom. Particularly this past Thanksgiving, we talked about everything from entrepreneurship, finance, my podcast, other family members, creation vs. evolution, ChatGPT, politics, the Vietnam War, and, as always, faith/Christianity/a mini-sermon by my grandpa, haha.

One thing I appreciate about my grandpa is that it’s very apparent that the values I got from my mom are the same values that she got from her dad: commitment, integrity, hard work, family-first values, grit, faith, and gratitude.

When we do chat about politics (for context, my grandparents are hardcore Republicans and Trump supporters), he’s clear that he doesn’t agree with the politics of the left/liberals/Democrats. But even if he doesn’t agree with everything his kids (and grandkids) do, he still supports them no matter what. And that’s something I deeply love and appreciate about him, and the spiritual rock he is for his family, his community, and everyone around him.

I also appreciate that after watching my video podcast episode with my little brother, my grandpa told me how much he loved not only the episode, but also my show and what I’m doing, and that I have “a gift” and to continue doing it. Easily one of the best compliments and affirmations I’ve received this year, if not of all time.

If nothing else, I know that my mom and my grandpa are my biggest supporters, unconditionally. And having that support is incomparable to anything else I could ever ask for.

Aeden Pham

As another repeat person on this list, I can’t express enough gratitude for having a friend like him in my corner. Not only is he a great friend to talk to, discuss ideas, and confide in, but he’s also a pleasure to work with in a professional capacity. We both have long-term plans to potentially make a film together, perhaps other creative endeavors like more stand-up comedy, and maybe opening up a coffee shop in the distant future (once we’re both rich and don’t need the money, haha). But it’s an awesome feeling to find people like Aeden whom you like as a friend, but can also work with them as a colleague because you trust them (trust = competency + character). He’s also one of the few, if not the only, guests to have been on my podcast 3 times in the past year, so that should say a lot. If I ask someone to come back as a repeat guest, it means I not only like you as a person, but I think you give great insights that I feel people need to hear more of.

Alex Tran

Surprisingly but unsurprisingly, I wanted to give my baby sister my deepest appreciation for this past year. Normally, I’m more than happy to be part of her support system when she needs it. I consider it a privilege to be a reliable, safe space for someone I care about. She has also had one of the most challenging years of her own life.

This past year, however, she was there for me when I needed it (and she probably didn’t even know it). She showed up, was present, and listened when I was at some of my lowest points this year. It’s very rare for me to completely open up to someone about my personal struggles, but it goes to show how much I trust someone when I can do so. She’s one of the kindest, sweetest, and most caring people I know, and I’m so grateful to have her in my life.

Lisa Doan

I didn’t realize this until I went through all of my photos this year, but Lisa and I hung out a lot more than I expected. I’m always so grateful to have her in my life, but I really appreciate how much she goes out of her way to text me and ask to hang out, eat together, etc. Usually, in many of my friend groups, it feels like I’m the one putting in more effort to spend time with people. But Lisa’s one of the few friends who show that she cares by doing the same for me. And for that, I’m so lucky to have her not only as my little but also as my friend.

I might have said this previously, but it’s kind of funny how our personalities are different enough that I don’t think we’d be friends without the circumstances that brought us together. However, I enjoy the fact that we don’t always see the world the same way because it’s an active reminder that you don’t need to think similarly to someone to care deeply about them.

Yerson Ochoa

What I appreciate about Yerson is that he’s one of the most genuine people in my life who’s completely honest with you about who he is and how he feels. And that’s something that makes me trust him deeply because it’s something that’s missing with most people.

He’s had a lot of challenges with the people in his life, especially this year. But I’m always inspired by how, despite that, he always pushes forward with a smile and tries to be the best version of himself for all of his students. We don’t hang out too often since we don’t really dance together anymore, but it’s always nice to see him every few months when we get together for a party, karaoke, or because I’m taking/assisting one of his dance classes, which happens about once per year, haha.

Solomon from Podcast Place

Even though I’ve been leveraging Riverside more for recording my podcast episodes, Solomon and Podcast Place have been key for getting my show launched. Having studio-quality video and audio, as well as a nice space to bring my in-person guests to, has been integral in establishing the look and branding of my show. But most importantly, Solomon is always such a pleasure to work with as he makes the entire process so easy. Huge thanks to him, and also be sure to check out the episode when he was a guest on my show episode #45.

Blessie Panopio

Aside from my immediate family, nobody else will be able to break Blessie’s streak of being on this list of people I appreciate most each year. Blessie is probably the only person in the world who knows how my brain works as much as, if not more than, me. I open up to her about pretty much everything, and I always feel safe to tell her my unfiltered thoughts about the world around me, without feeling judged. I’m so grateful to have a partner like her who accepts me as I am, and also helps me stop and think periodically to step outside of myself and see things from another perspective (which is very difficult for me, many times with my personality type).

I’ve said this in previous years, but it’s still very true. It’s not easy to be with someone like me. I have high standards for myself, but also unfairly for the people who are closest to me. So I understand that it can feel tough, as my s/o would naturally feel a lot of pressure to live up to these high standards. But I’m endlessly appreciative of the grace and compassion she constantly shows me, dealing with my shortcomings and still making me feel loved and accepted. I can honestly say that being with her and seeing her example has made me a more thoughtful and compassionate person than I would have been without her. And lastly, I’m grateful that we finally hit our 6-year anniversary this past month! It’s not an exaggeration to say I couldn’t have made it through this year without her ❤

Groups of People

New Bible Study Group

This past summer, I finally managed to join a new bible study group at my church. It’s been a long time coming, as I’ve unsuccessfully tried to find a small group within my age range for the last few years. But I guess I just needed to be patient because this group came into my life at exactly the right time when I needed it the most. We meet every Tuesday night at the Anaheim campus for 1.5 hours, and it has become a new weekly routine I look forward to. Building a fellowship with others has been something I knew I was missing for several years now, since my old bible study group stopped meeting up. It feels good to be connected to my faith more than just once a week, and being around my new group inspires me to stay connected more often during the week. Special shout-out to Sarah (our SG leader), Nicole, Richard, David, Vermel, Natalie, Amanda, Nathan, and a handful of others who have made me feel immediately welcomed into the group.

My Kaba Modern K10 Class

While I appreciate us staying connected and meeting up at least once a year, special thanks to my classmates this year who appeared on my podcast, shared their story, shared their insights, and took the time to come out and create those moments together that we can look back on fondly. Their episodes are some of my favorites, and our “reunion” episode is easily in my top 5 of the entire year.

Karaoke Crew

Karaoke Crew always remains a staple of some of my favorite people to spend time with consistently, about once per month or so. At the very least, we get together for birthday celebrations, holiday parties, random food/adventure outings, or study sessions. One thing that I’ve learned this year is that you cannot really replace the feeling of being in a community of people in your stage of life. While it’s a blessing to be a mentor to those younger than you, or to be able to learn from those more experienced than you, it’s very freeing to be able to be your complete and messy self with other people you feel like are also just trying to figure out life at the same stage. And through that, we can support each other without judgment or pretense.

My OTG Podcast Guests

I’m so thankful to each and every one of my podcast guests, without whom my show would not be possible. The generosity of spirit they’ve given to me and my show, the vulnerability, the time, and the energy. All of it has made my show what it is today. It was also a great reason to catch up with some friends whom I have not seen or talked to in several years. Therefore, each conversation was a moment I cherish and will be able to listen to fondly in the future.

Family on the East Coast

I had a special opportunity to visit my mom’s side of the family on the East Coast, some of whom I haven’t seen in almost 10 years! When you haven’t seen people who were integral in your life growing up, it’s crazy to see how much people don’t really change (in a good way). My aunts, uncles, and grandparents seem the same as they’ve always been. And there’s something so comforting about that. At the same time, it was amazing to see my baby cousins who are all grown up now (in high school, college, and entering post-grad adult life) and chatting with them to see what kind of people they’ve become, are becoming, and want to become.

It’s also nice to have that feeling of “being reunited with your people” in the sense that you know a big part of your personality and values come directly from these people. Even though a lot of my family are very loud, have widely different interests and hobbies, I discovered that the underlying values of family, hard work, resilience, entrepreneurship, and faith have permeated our entire family. It’s such a privilege to be able to see where those values in myself have come from.

Stats / Achievements

Media

Books read: 24

Movies watched in theaters: 58 (via AMC A-List + others)

TV Shows & Anime watched: 34

Kaiju No. 8 (S1) – 4.5/5
Demon Slayer (S4) – 4.5/5
Battle Game in 5 Seconds (S1) – 3.5/5
Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian (S1) – 4.5/5
Wind Breaker (S1) – 4/5
Wistoria (S1) – 3/5
Dan Da Dan (S1) – 5/5
My Hero Academia (S5-7) – 4.5/5
Solo Leveling (S2) – 5/5
Dr. Stone (S1-2) – 4.5/5
Guild Receptionist, Solo Any Boss (S1) – 3.5/5
The Future Diary (S1) – 2/5
Are You Lost? (S1) – 2.5/5
Aho-Girl (S1) – 3/5
Irregular at Magic High (S2-3) – 4.5/5
Angel Next Door (S1) – 4/5
Rosario + Vampire (S1-2) – 1.5/5
Konosuba (S3) – 4.5/5
Please, Twins (S1) – 1/5
Deadman Wonderland (S1) – 2/5
Takamine San (S1)- 3.5/5
World’s End (S1) – 3/5
Love Flops (S1)- 4/5
PGPT (S1) – 2/5
World’s Finest Assassin (S1) – 4/5
My Dress-Up Darling (S1) – 4/5
My First Girlfriend is a Gal (S1) – 3/5
Goblin Slayer (S2) – 4.5/5
MGD (S1) – 3.5/5
My Gift Lvl 9999 (S1) – 3.5/5
DG (S1) – 3/5
Skeleton Knight (S1) – 4/5
Mashle (S1-2) – 4.5/5
Misfit of Demon King Academy (S1-2) – 3.5/5

Finances

Completed “House Down Payment” fund

Maxed out my 401(k) contributions for the 4th year in a row

Achieved a net worth of $500k (projected to hit $1M before I turn 40)

Career / Projects:

Created 7 learning guides for my online store

In-person coaching sessions (finance, relationships): 8

One Thousand Gurus Podcast episodes: 50 published / 58 recorded

Learned how to use and actively leveraged 6 new software/AI tools: Canva, ChatGPT, Claude, Gamma, Descript, Riverside

Reindeer Family hangouts (large group events): 3

3/6 – Dinner @Jincook, Odd One Out, Melo Melo
6/7 – Dinner @Emporium Thai, Westfield, KazuNori + ShareTea
11/30 – Dinner @Afuri, AMC: Zootopia 2, Hokie Pokie

Days I saw Blessie: 20,11,13,18,17,15,17,18,17,14,8,11 = 179 times

23,33,45,54,35,23,14,16,10,8,26,39 = 326

Physical/Personal

Blood donations: 3

3/12
9/5
12/30

Total steps taken: 5,164,138

Average steps per day: 14,148

Gym workouts: 18,15,18,17,14,18,17,19,17,17,18,12 = 200 sessions

Flights / Trips: 10 / 5

5/30-31: NorCal – Rohit’s wedding
6/13-15: PA – Fam reunion
7/3-5: NorCal – Fam going away / dad’s birthday
11/26-27: NorCal – Thanksgiving w/ Grandparents
12/3-16: Japan trip – Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka

Yelp events attended: 15

Finally deactivated my personal & dance Instagram accounts 🙌🏼

Hobbies

Visits to the bowling alley: 78

Bowling high score: 201

Arcade Basketball high score: 105

KPOP covers/performances: 7

Energetic – Wanna One (Koreos) [2/25]
NemoNemo – Yena (Koreos) [3/9]
Love Money Fame – Seventeen (Koreos) [4/29]
K-Factor Exhibition (Koreos) [5/4]
Eve, Psyche, the Bluebeard’s Wife – Le Sserafim (Koreos) [5/23]
Talk Saxy – Riize (Koreos) [11/8]
Go In Blind – &Team (Koreos) [11/18]

Filmings/performances supported: 21

Jan (2) – Tick Tack, Palagi (Akool)
Feb (7) – Strategy, Confident, Blue Orangeade, Shooting Star, Paradise, Left Right, Armageddon
Mar (6) – Rebel Heart, SteelCraft performance (Epipen), Drip, Hello Future, Hot, The Chase (Shero)
Apr (3) – Come Over, The Chase, Like Jennie
May (0)
June (2) – Fiesta, Jelly Pop
July-Nov (0)
Dec (1) – Start of Something New (Akool)

My Top 11 Songs of 2025 (in order)

Note: Of course, not all of these songs came out in 2025. But these were the top songs that defined 2025 for me based on how much I listened to them, the impact they had on me, how they made me feel, and how much I still enjoy listening to them to this day. It’s also obvious now that my top songs tend to be my favorite dance songs and/or sing-along-type songs. (Also interesting that about half of these songs are by Japanese artists 🤔)

Memorable Moments

January

1/4 – D&B w/ OldCrew (Yerson, Isabella, Sylvia)

Arguably my favorite people from Firework/Megastuf eras

1/5 – Koreos filming: Tick Tack @Venice; post-filming: Margume + Wanderlust

9/10 times, during filming is when I first listen to the song they’re covering

1/7 – Koreos Audition Workshops + Dennys

1/8 – OTG recording #22: Ray + dinner @Poke&More @7L

Me being closer to the camera makes it seem like we’re almost the same height, right? 👀

1/9 – UCI Career Development Event; dinner catch-up w/ Aeden @KappoHonda

“Job market? Yeah, good luck with that!”

1/10 – Karaoke Crew dinner/hangout @BullgogiKBBQ + @Mycha

1/13 – Catch-up w/ Dorothy @SweetHoney

We’re both on diets, and yet we both eat pure carbs when we hang out

1/15-16 – Koreos Winter Audition interviews (Zoom) + Deliberations @Denny’s
1/17 – OTG #23 w/ Ali; cafe session w/ Angela @DV, D&B + Noypitz w/ Louna

1/18 – Akool filming @Woodbridge + dinner @BoilingPoint

1/19 – Koreos Orientation, food pickup, Social @Gavin’s

1/20 – Catch-up w/ Andy @Summerfield

One of those friends who are hard to schedule with but always a great convo

1/24 – YEE: Curry Lounge w/ Blessie; DV/Mycha + DDD w/ Karaoke Crew

Blessie still hasn’t tried to become Yelp Elite bc she hates free food 😢

1/25 – Vivot w/ Lisa, Koreos: Ellen workshop, dinner @Marugame

My flight was not free, but I was so full off matcha by the end of it

1/26 – Oreos w/ Athena; gym w/ Gavin & Angela

1/31 – Gym w/ Yerson, dinner @RedFlame w/ Yerson, Blessie, mom

I didn’t choose the other photo where he starts to pull up his shirt and flash the camera

February

1/31-2/1 – Mom visit: Baker’s & Baristas, BPMF, Costco, gym, RedFlame, AMC: Den of Thieves 2; Brunch @Lola’s, Teofilo, park walk

2/2 – Oreos w/ Aimi (B-Plate); Koreos filming: Strategy @Venice; Sunday practice

The one and only time we’ve ever really chatted

2/5 – Koreos filming: Confident @LACMA

2/8 – Koreos Theme Park trip @Knotts, Dinner @MalaHongTang; hangout w/ Karaoke Crew @BlackPearl + question game

2/9 – Cafe session @Kei, gym w/ Angela & Phoebe; Koreos Sunday practice; post-practice @movement

Next time, I’ll wait for free food before ordering

2/10 – Koreos filming: Blue Orangeade @Westood + post-filming dinner

I took several action shots but this was the best

2/13 – Koreos filming: Shooting Star + post-filming @Daikokuya

Oh wait, this was also a rainy filming ☔️

2/15-17 – Koreos Photoshoot + Retreat

2/18 – Koreos filming: Psychic Fever @UCLA

The only collab/cover I ever regretted not being a part of. I was obsessed with this song once I heard it during filming.

2/18 – Hangout w/ Wellington @TheSource

If you don’t know how to read this love reading, it isn’t necessarily bad or good

2/20 – Dinner w/ Louna @TopBBQGrill
2/21 – Kat’s birthday party

She throws the best parties, but I always make sure to use the hot cups for cold drinks (bc it triggers her)

2/22 – OTG: #24 Jessi, #25 Alex C; Tanya KBBQ dinner w/ Koreos @RoadtoSeoul

2/23 – Koreos filming: Left Right; Koreos filming: Armageddon; fam lunch; Koreos Sunday practice

Phoebe’s sunburn was so bad, her skin was colored like a neapolitan ice cream the next week

2/24 – Financial coaching w/ Ray @BesTeas + @PhoAnvi

2/25 – Koreos filming: Energetic @Royce + in-n-out w/ fam (Ellie, Angela, Katrina)

We’re so clean with the lines (we’re not)

March

3/1 – Koreos filming: Rebel Heart @Westwood; Epipen performance @SteelCraftGG; dance workshop w/ Teena + dinner @BCD

3/2 – Lunch w/ Maddie @BPlate, Koreos filming: Drip @KiaForum, Sunday practice; post-practice: sharetea + taco stand

3/4 – Nemo Nemo practice #2 + Oreo: Shirley (Dipnmix)

3/5 – Cafe session @DV, GingkoKatsuBento, Mymen Ramen w/ Louna
3/6 – Waving intensive class #1 w/ Frantick @WestCoastDance
3/7 – OTG recording #26: Travis

This upcoming year, I’m having full episodes dedicated to just anime

3/8 – OTG recording #27: Eric; Reindeer fam hangout @Jincook @OddOneOut @MeloMelo

Had to book this dude like 3-4 months in advance

3/9 – Koreos filming: Nemo Nemo @SMPier, post-filming: Malatang + Junbi; Koreos filming: Hello Future @Venice, post-filming: Lavendar&Truffles + TigaWok; Koreos sunday practice; Post-practice: sharetea, justboba, the study, hedrick

I asked Phoebe for the chorus we filmed w/ Maddie but she left both of my messages unread to this day :’)

3/10 – OTG recording #28: Ray pt. 2 + dinner @RedFlame & 7L

Our show’s first repeat guest! (I think?)

3/12 – Blood donation

3/15 – OTG recording #29: Lachlan

Solid episode, great career advice. Also my first time ever speaking with him

3/15 – YEE: St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl w/ Blessie & Aeden, dinner + FTB w/ Lisa

3/16 – Koreos filming: Hot @Venice, post-filming @TigaWok; Sunday practice; post-practice: sharetea, study food, movement

3/17 – OTG recording #30: Kan

The most humble guy you’ll ever meet, who always makes everyone around him feel awesome

3/19 – OTG recording #31: RS w/ Aeden + dinner @NGHBRS
3/21 – Dance workshop & relationship coaching w/ Dorothy @Charade @SweetHoney

SweetHoney is always the choice bc they open late

3/23 – Joanne’s birthday brunch @VillainsBrewing, coffee pickup @Hao’s

The day Joanne showed us her favorite hand motion 🫴🏻

3/25 – SorryNotSorry + Soup Shop w/ Louna

I’m embarrassed to say I have SO many rewards points for SNS

3/26 – Shero filming: The Chase @TheSource

Blessie had the best parts, and she killed it 🔥

3/27 – YEE: Black & Gold Event; Oreo w/ Grace @SSG Gardena + Oko Cafe

3/28 – Lunch w/ koreos @Kokos @Mycha; OTG recording #32: JJ

3/29 – Park photoshoot w/ Murphy, Teena’s birthday hangout @AnQi @Cauldron

3/30 – Koreos Sunday Practice; Post-practice: justboba, the study, movement

April

4/4 – Vox preview @SCP w/ Aeden; birthday dinner w/ Karaoke Crew @Jincook @SorryNotSorry

If Vox wasn’t so expensive, I’d go more often

4/5 – Lunch w/ Alex @SiamStation; birthday gathering @R1 Burbank

Thanks for treating me to lunch, grandbaby ❤

4/6 – Koreos filming x2: Come Over @SMP / The Chase @Royce; lunch w/ Jojo @DeNeve; Koreos Sunday Practice; Post-practice: birthday cake

I’m always impressed how Ellie can do so many styles seemlessly

4/8 – Birthday dinner @Benihana + BR w/ Blessie

ATP, benihana is barely worth it anymore with their inflated prices

4/11 – Cafe session w/ Lisa & Alex @KeiCoffee; OTG recording #33: Hazi; Oreo w/ Grace @WestfieldCC

LOL she so excited for free food 🤣 (ft. Alex’s thumbs)

4/12 – Recording @RJ’s, SNS w/ Blessie

4/13 – SVT practice #1; Oreo w/ Wonwoo @Junbi/Sharetea; Sunday practice, cake for Angela; Post-practice @hedrick

4/18 – Dinner w/ SujiNova @DeNeve

The dynamic duo. We used to hang out a lot when they first joined the team.

4/19 – Austyn’s birthday in K-Town + Tu Cha

4/20 – Easter lunch w/ Blessie’s fam; Koreos Sunday practice; Post-practice @Hedrick

I really get the same things whenever I go here

4/21 – OTG recording #34: Alex Hung

Our first deep conversation, I think, in our entire friendship

4/22 – SVT practice #4 + Dipnmixx

These practices were actually fun, minus half of the people not coming prepared, and the leaders having to go over the same things constantly

4/24 – Dinner w/ Louna @MaiPhatNoodleHouse + Viland Coffee

Interesting restaurant name, great noodle dishes

4/25 – David’s birthday celebration @CrossRoads @RockNBrews @SNS

4/26 – Filipino hangout @Kitsch, OTG recording #35: Julie; dinner @RedFlame @SNS

Me nodding silently as everyone speaks Tagalog 🙂‍↕️

4/27 – Koreos filming: Like Jennie @Venice; post-filming lunch @Malatang w/ Tory, Tia, Angela, Tanya; Koreos Sunday practice; Post-practice: card game w/ Katrina

4/28 – OTG recording #36: Murphy

TW: us lightheartedly talking about death

4/29 – SVT LMF filming @3rdStreet

4/30 – CogSci Career Professionals alumni panel event

May

5/1 – Kababayan Alumni Panel @UCI

5/4 – K-Factor + post-performance dinner @SichuanImpression

5/9 – Dinner w/ Blessie @TopGrillKBBQ, cafe session @MemoryLook

Was this the day she wore a shower cap so she wouldn’t smell during her concert? lol

5/10 – LB Filipino Festival, AMC: Thunderbolts

When I’m surrounded by Filipinos, I crave mangoes for some reason (maybe racism)

5/11 – Mother’s Day gifts; Sunday practice

Drinks for the fam, and gifts (not pictured) for Lisa & Angela (the moms)

5/13 – Louna birthday dinner @TopGrillBBQ + SweetHoney

Yeah, SweetHoney is always the move, it seems

5/14 – YEE: Sandbox VR

5/16 – One Piece x Universal Studios Fan Fest w/ Ed & Dan

5/17 – Lunch w/ Hung @30Acres

Long chat, and they gave me hella extra of this drink

5/18 – Koreos Sunday practice; post-practice: Ellie’s cake

5/19 – LSHIP interviews @UCLA & Dennys

5/23 – Koreos filming: EPBW @Sharetea

I hate taking solo photos. Only took this for the records

5/24 – OTG recording #37: Clark; Cheesecake Factory w/ Koreos

5/25 – Gym & OTG recording #38 w/ Yerson

Arguably, even better than his 1st episode

5/30-31 – NorCal trip: lunch w/ Jacob & mom, Rohit & Melissa’s wedding; I-Tea w/ mom

My little bro is all grown up and Hawaiian

5/31 – Koreos Banquet @Ugo, afterparty @Gavin’s

I always feel like a burden asking to take photos w/ her 🥲 but I knew I’d regret not getting this last one

June

6/1 – Oreo w/ Anna @JustBoba, last Koreos sunday practice + Maddie’s bday cake

We’re overdue for another Oreo from Fall 🤷🏻‍♂️

6/3 – Koreos filming: Fiesta

6/4 – Dinner catch-up w/ Aeden @SoupShop

This iced coffee is actually really good. I inhaled it.

6/6 – Double recording: OTG #39: Hazi 2 + OTG #40: Vanessa; AMC: Lilo & Stitch w/ Aeden & Kat

6/7 – Koreos filming: Jelly Pop @Venice; Oreo w/ Melissa @Jeni’sIceCream; Reindeer fam hangout @EmporiumThai, @Westfield (Chagee, PopMart, food court) @Westwood (HazuNori + Sharetea)

6/8 – Oreo w/ Christa @SantaAnitaMall

Pretty sure 99.9% of the words we’ve ever exchanged were during this hangout

6/11 – OTG recording #41: Eric C

Eric and I went to the same HS, but we never really talked until this day

6/12 – OTG recording #42: Marie + dinner w/ Blessie @Gerry’sGrill

We finally got a mom on the show (my mom)

6/13-15 – Trip to PA to visit fam

6/20 – Ne-Yo clubbing event @TimeNightclub

6/21 – URMO 15^th Gen Gala

6/23 – OTG recording #43: RJ + hangout @BPMF

6/28 – Hao’s birthday hangout @TheSource (photobooth)

We love standing in a claustrophobic box

6/28 – OTG recording #44: Shasia

It’s rare, but I enjoy just sitting down and chatting with her 1:1. Otherwise, we never really get to talk like that.

6/29 – Long cafe session @Kei + chat w/ Aeden

The free/discounted food is what makes the trip here worth it

July

7/3-5 – NorCal trip for July 4^th / Dad’s birthday / fam going away party

I made the mistake of just “checking out” this store having a sale on OP shirts

7/7 – OTG recording #45: Solomon

7/12 – OTG recording #46: Lisa + Cerritos Mall

She was so nervous, she was texting me 4-6 weeks prior about how nervous she was

7/12 – Shasia’s birthday hangout @MamaLu’s, 3Cat, Round1

There is a group photo that exists, but I didn’t save it and am too lazy to find it 😬

7/16 – Fundraiser dinner w/ Aeden @SpicyBite

I love that Aeden’s bingo fundraiser is just him paying for dinner beyond the cost of the actual fundraiser

7/17 – OTG recording #47 (RS) w/ K10; dinner @Te-buru w/ Hung & June

An impossible feat: scheduling five 30-somethings to sit in a room for 2hrs

7/27 – Gym + BCD w/ Angela, DV hangout w/ Angela & Alex

August

8/1 – Dinner catch-up w/ Dorothy @PastMemories

Dorothy gets upset if you don’t like something she recommends

8/2 – OTG recording #48: Austyn

Austyn is another fan-favorite guest (I’m the fan pt. 2)

8/2 – OTG recording #49: Justin

Fun fact: This guy is literally so hot he has a couple of ice packs under his coat. He was sweating before the recording started LOL

8/2 – Dinner w/ Alex @Marugame @ChaRedefined + walk around SCP

8/3 – Gym w/ Marco & Joanne; visit Dorothy’s church
8/4 – OTG recording #50: Aeden 3 (RS)
8/9 – OTG recording #51: Joanne

This episode isn’t live anymore, but you can DM her for the full episode, haha.

8/9 – Dinner + hangout w/ Sylvia (+bf) @Dawa @R1

Finally got this damn figurine that will likely just collect dust in my closet after spending $50 on it

8/16 – OTG #52: Hannah (remote)

Hannah is one of my favorite people to talk to. She always makes me laugh 😂

8/17 – YEE: Sosogu LB

8/23 – OTG #52: Lindsey (remote)

8/26 – OTG recording #54: Way

So good to catch up with the homie. I used to be his dance mentor in HS, and then he ended up being the director of KM

8/28 – Dinner & hangout w/ Louna @RedFlame @D&B
8/30 – OTG recording #55: Jae

He was so nervous, he blocked out all of the prep notes I gave him before the recording

8/30 – Karaoke Crew hangout @J&M’s + HDWYG card game

We stayed up until 2:30am because the tea was hot and SPICY 🌶️🫖

September

9/5 – Blood donation; dinner + karaoke night w/ Karaoke Crew @AlasToxicas

9/6 – OTG recording #56: Dorothy 2 (remote)

If you love Jesus, you’ll like this episode

9/11 – AMC: Demon Slayer w/ Hung
9/13 – OTG recording #57: Hao; Karaoke Crew hangout @TheSource

Honestly surprised she said yes, but she did great!

9/19 – Cafe work session + dinner w/ Lisa @Dumbstruck @RamenOchi @MeloMelo

9/20 – OTG recording #58: Rohit
9/20 – LSHIP bonding & level-set @Gavin’s
9/21 – Karaoke w/ Yerson, Herbie, Blessie @Plush

9/22 – OTG recording #59: Jacob
9/24 – Wedding Dress class assist w/ Yerson @S1L

9/24 – Officially launched Stan store w/ 3 PDF guides + audiobooks
9/26 – YEE: Starbird Chicken + Karaoke Crew hangout @J&M (drinking, food, HDWYG cards)

9/27 – Lunch w/ Blessie & tita @FSB; Studio X RPD event @TheSource w/ Herbie

I found a fellow, old, former collegiate comp team, Filipino dancer

9/30 – Small Group (Young Adults) bible study @SBAnaheim

New homie I met in my new bible study group

October

10/3 – Koreos auditions

POV: You’re pretending to be a dance judge

10/4 – LSHIP: Deliberations; fam hangout w/ Alex & Lisa @Ramen & @Frostbites

I got bullied into making another TikTok 😭

10/5 – Koreos: Orientation, post-orientation social @Gavin’s

10/6 – OTG recording #61: 2025 recap; catch-up call w/ Lindsey
10/7 – Bible study group potluck + card game

Pictured: my diet slowly dying, going to be with the Lord

10/7 – OTG recording #62: Catherine 2
10/9 – YEE: Sideline Social + walk @Seaside w/ Louna

Huge warehouse, but they needed to turn on the AC 🥵

10/10 – Creative writing session @Summerfield + dinner @BCD w/ Aeden

Me: let’s work on a potential future movie script that may never be produced, but it’ll be a fun, creative exercise regardless

10/11 – HPT meeting w/ Austyn; Oreo w/ Shasia; Koreos practice
10/18 – Tita Joy’s birthday dinner @FSB

This is my typical 1st plate at a buffet (don’t judge me)

10/19 – lunch w/ Rin & Ariel @KuraSushi

10/23 – OTG recording #60: Book Highlights – Money Mastery
10/25 – OTG recording #63: Linden/Travis 2
10/25 – Yerson + S1L Halloween party

10/26 – Koreos practice: Austyn workshop, Talk Saxy #3
10/31 – Halloween dinner w/ Karaoke Crew (J&M, Blessie) @TopBBQGrill

November

11/1 – OTG recording #64: Hazi & Vanessa

I found out they were in Thailand as soon as we jumped on the call 🇹🇭✈️

11/2 – Oreo w/Maddie; Koreos practice: Ryan workshop, Go In Blind #1

I think our 2nd time ever hanging out 1:1

11/3 – OTG recording #65: Koaga

11/5 – OTG recording #66: Lorenzo
11/6 – Hangout w/ David (SB) @Cafe86 @Gerry’sGrill

My Korean friend wants to hang out, and asks me to take him to Filipino places 🤨

11/8 – Koreos filming: Talk Saxy @Broxton

Why was this the pose?? 😭 (oh wait, it’s bc I kept doing it lol)

11/9 – Koreos practice: B/L reveal, Go In Blind #2; after-practice: in-n-out, fam games @hedrick

New babies: Maya (4G little), Jubilee (3G little)

11/10 – Meetup: Philosopher’s Discussion
11/11 – Bible study; URMO fam reveal w/ ACD

11/14 – Filipino Friendsgiving, Duy’s 30^th + Going Away party w/ Blessie

11/15 – Blessie’s birthday celebration w/ Karaoke Crew @SeoulBelly @SNS @J&M

11/16 – Koreos practice: social media dances, Go In Blind #3
11/17 – Blessie’s birthday celebration @Benihana @SNS

11/18 – Koreos filming: Go In Blind @Royce

I’m not even 100% sure I still have my original blindfold at this point 🫠

11/21 – CHP / CHC Alumni Coffee Hour; Finance coaching w/ J&M @7L

Can’t believe it’s been over 12 years since I came to UCI regularly

11/22 – Oreo w/ Katrina @WestfieldCC; Finance coaching w/ Lisa @SeedWater, Lisa’s birthday dinner w/ Alex @Jincook + @Nobibi

11/23 – Koreos practice: fall quarter retro, varieties
11/24 – Cafe session w/ Alex & sis @Airoma + DV

“Coffee at 5pm?” -Alex
“Don’t worry, there’s only a 50/50 chance I’ll mess up my sleep tonight”

11/26 – OTG recording #67: Jane
11/27-28 – NorCal Thanksgiving trip w/ mom to Papa’s house

My mom showing my grandpa how to use ChatGPT

11/29 – 6-year anniversary celebration w/ Blessie @ONDO @Mycha

11/30 – Reindeer fam hangout @Afuri ramen + AMC: Zootopia 2

Alcohol, to remind myself I’m the adult surrounded by my kiddos

December

12/1 – Blessie’s Benihana/RA Sushi birthday dinner pt. 2

Never knew Benihana had a sushi-only restaurant inside, but this was a good deal

12/2 – Dual birthday hangout w/ Jade & Alex @MoRanGak @DV

12/3-16 – Japan Trip (Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima/Miyajima, Osaka)

My only posed photo that someone else took of me

12/18 – Hangout w/ Alex @QuanNhii @TeaNami

12/19 – Marco’s birthday surprise @TheSource

Surprising Marco for his 93rd birthday 🎉

12/20 – Hangout w/ Dororthy + met bf Brandon, HSM recording @RJ’s w/ Blessie, Julie’s 35^th birthday dinner @Sonder

She’s bedridden but drew this real quick lol

12/21 – Finance coaching & hangout w/ Aeden @KeiCoffee @Mycha

I regret getting the double chocolate s’mores drink, 11/10 sweetness 😵‍💫

12/23 – OTG recording #68: Rani 2
12/26 – Oreo w/ Kat (ice skating, dinner, cinnamon rolls, movie night)

Me trying to get Kat to fall: “Oh look, Haechan!”

12/27 – Friendsmas w/ Karaoke Crew @J&M

Akool filming: HSM w/ Blessie, RJ, Wellington, Asia @FDStudio

“And now, looking in your eyes…” *both of them look away* 👀

12/30 – 3rd blood donation @UCIMedCtr
12/31 – NYE hangout w/ Blessie @SeasideNewportBeach

General Thoughts on 2025

1st Half vs. 2nd Half

The first half of the year generally went as planned, and I achieved everything I set out to do. By the time summer hit, I committed to spending a lot of time alone in reflection to audit my life and relationships. My long, 2-hour walks each night were the perfect opportunity to catch up on my books, listen to new podcasts, get my daily 12k steps, and do deep reflections. The intent of these reflections was to do a “health check” on the different areas of my life (career, finance, health, relationships, faith).

By the end of summer, I came to the realization that I’ve been a bit delusional about how some of my relationships were going. I thought I had genuine friendships with certain people. But when I actually looked back on all of the “micro-rejections” and stopped ignoring all the inconsistencies (them treating me one way in private, but treating me like I’m invisible in public, group settings, and on social media), it was a tough pill to swallow.

But moving forward, I’m committed to protecting my own peace and energy, and only meeting people halfway with whatever effort they put in. I realized it’s draining to put in effort towards something when people don’t really care and it doesn’t actually matter, which leads to burnout. Thankfully, I’m closing the year feeling less burned out than I did when I went into summer. And I’ve been intentionally spending more time with people who reciprocate wanting to invest in our relationship and treat me like a friend.

Growth, Loneliness, and Vulnerability

This video does a good job encapsulating my thoughts on growth and loneliness I’ve been feeling for a few years now. While I feel that I grow significantly and intentionally each year, I’ve also realized how lonely it feels to be slowly starting to not fit in with my previous social groups.

There are probably only 2-3 people who will read this blog post in its entirety. For those of you who do, you may have noticed that I’m trying to be more honest in this entry compared to previous years. I read a book recently called I Don’t Want to Talk About It, and it inspired me to make more of a conscious effort to be genuine with my own feelings. In this post, I’m more explicit about the memories that made me happy, the times I’ve felt vulnerable, and the points where I’ve felt sad. Usually, there’s a lot of context I don’t give (which I save for my private journal entries). But this time, I wanted to more fully express how I’ve been feeling this past year.

Hopefully, it’ll inspire me to keep doing so in the following years. And I trust that whoever is taking the time to read this post in its entirety would not use my vulnerable thoughts against me, as it’s frightening to open up at this level. But I hope that this small act of courage might inspire others to do the same.

Goals for 2025

Theme for 2025: Purposeful Service

Projects

Goal: Finish building out my coaching website; have 5-8 paid clients
Purpose: Coaching people 1:1 to help improve their relationships will improve their quality of life in the long run
- Strategy / Action steps: Work with a branding specialist to finish building my website & IG, then reach out to networks.
- Achieved – My website is up, I had 8 coaching sessions, and I even opened up an Online Store via Stan to host the new Digital Products (learning guides and audiobooks) I created for my coaching practice. I actually pivoted so that I’m no longer niching down to just relationships, but “becoming the niche” and expanding my coaching specialties to additional areas I’m passionate and knowledgeable in: personal finance, productivity, and relationships.

Goal: Publish 50 episodes
Purpose: Consistently building out this brand/platform the way I envision will hopefully inspire other people to pursue their own goals and dreams
- Strategy / Action steps: Stay on track with my weekly release schedule and continuously book guests from my networks & referrals. Possibly hire a scheduling assistant to deal with booking communication with guests, as this is my biggest pain point at the moment.
- Achieved – This goal was already on autopilot once I committed to the publishing schedule. It was tough at times having to deal with rescheduling conflicts, but I managed to make it work by learning how to schedule a large backlog of episodes (about 6-8 weeks’ worth) ahead of time to account for any guests falling through our planned schedule.

Health / Fitness

Goal: 10-12% body fat (continued from 2024)
Purpose: Continuously pursuing the healthiest and most energetic version of myself will allow me to do my best work for the longest time
- Strategy / Action steps: Continue fitness coaching, regulate sleep schedule (7-8 hours per night), cut down on sugar & caffeine intake, mitigate overeating
- Achieved – I actually stopped relying on my fitness coach and instead committed to investing in a meal service to simplify my nutrition, which ultimately improved my compliance. By the end of the summer, I was down to 136lbs (10lb drop over 3 months) and saw a drastic improvement in my definition. It was the first time I was able to see my ab muscles clearly, which was a huge personal accomplishment. I also optimized my sleep through being more consistent with sleeping on time, and investing in blackout curtains and a blackout sleep mask. These two things were some of the best investments I’ve made this year, as they have significantly improved my sleep quality and duration.

Comedy

Goal: Perform at shows 1+ times/month
Purpose: Improving my ability to make people laugh in this art form will bring joy to others through laughter
- Strategy / Action steps: I think we just need to schedule weekly productivity sessions, and every other week we’ll do an open mic after that session. And also maybe scope out other open mics in the area.
- Not achieved – Unfortunately, this goal has been pushed to the back burner again as my other projects were prioritized. Also, Aeden joined a competitive team, which reduced his availability to do comedy shows with me, so it deters me from building a consistent routine. I hope to pick this hobby back up next year, but I won’t hold my breath.

Dance

Goal: Freestyle Fridays / session & film (1/week)
Purpose: Freestyle dancing is the type of dancing that gives me the most fulfillment and allows me to fully express myself. I feel like authentic self-expression is the best way to inspire others to do the same
- Strategy / Action steps: I need to find a group of dancers who want to freestyle consistently (create one or join an existing one), and have some accountability for me to do this consistently.
- Not achieved – This was another area that was heavily deprioritized this year for other efforts. Not only have I realized that dance has been falling out of my life interests, but I also don’t feel connected with the K-pop cover dance community. This plays a large part in my not dancing as much this past year. And I think not dancing overall has subconsciously made me push even freestyle dancing to the side. I think if I find a community of freestyle dancers that I connect with in the future, that would be the most effective path forward for me. Otherwise, I don’t really have that same spark for dance I used to in organized settings. With that being said, I’ll never stop dancing, as whenever I hear a good song or find myself in a clubbing/wedding reception-type environment, there’s nothing that would stop me from getting down on the dance floor.

Financial

Goal: Donate $5k total to causes that matter to me
Purpose: Financial contributions are a direct form of service towards causes that matter to me
- Strategy / Action steps: Continue my current recurring donations to my church and various charities, but also be on the lookout for other opportunities where my financial contributions can make a meaningful impact
- Achieved – This is another one of those goals that I hit automatically by continuing my recurring contributions to the charitable organizations I subscribe to.

Spiritual / Community

Goal: Volunteer consistently at church
Purpose: The most direct form of service, but within my spiritual community
- Strategy / Action steps: Sign up for one of the volunteer ministries at Saddleback Anaheim campus (probably the Welcome team), and try to do the morning shift
- Not achieved – I tried to sign up for some volunteer opportunities this year, but they didn’t pan out as I ended up having conflicts with other commitments. I think it all comes back to the random schedule I had this past year with Koreos commitments, as well as other priority events I had. However, I think once I leave Koreos, I’ll be able to volunteer every week consistently during the Sunday services. Not sure if I want to volunteer as a greeter, but I think doing something “back of house” like an administrative ministry, or maybe volunteering at the food bank would be more ideal for me.

Goals for 2026

Theme for 2026: New Adventures & Endeavors

I think the focus for next year will be new beginnings. I want to commit to saying “yes” to new things, going on more adventures, and exploring new and existing curiosities even deeper than before. I imagine next year will feel like a fresh start in many ways, which gets me pretty excited and looking forward to it.

Projects

Goal: Coach 10 new clients in my coaching practice
Purpose: This goal will help me focus on refining my practice while also expanding my current client base through marketing and referrals
- Strategy/ Action steps: Ask for 1-2 referrals from networks, invest time/money/energy in online marketing

Goal: Earn $5,000 from selling digital products
Purpose: Building out the “passive income” side of my coaching practice. The following year, I’ll focus on scaling by doubling down on what works.
- Strategy / Action steps: Hire a marketing assistant for social media to create engaging content and drive sales to my online store

Health / Fitness

Goal: 8-10% bodyfat
Purpose: The next step of my fitness goal is to continue decreasing body fat. At my lowest this past year, I was at about 12% and finally had visible abs. So this upcoming year, I’m going to shoot for sub 10% and possibly motivate me to cosplay as topless Zoro at AX in July 2026
- Strategy / Action steps: prioritize sleep, reduce stress, consistent hydration, 4 workouts per week, be consistent with my diet via meal service, limit overeating.

Comedy

Goal: Do (12) five-minute standup comedy sets
Purpose: This has been on the back burner since Aeden has been busy with his comp team this past year. But standup has always been inherently enjoyable as a craft that I love improving on, and I want to eventually get good enough to tour across the country on a small scale for fun
- Strategy / Action steps: Block off 1 open mic per month and build my sets at least a week prior; schedule open mics w/ Aeden

Dance

Goal: Find freestyle community and attend consistent sessions; collab on (3) pieces of choreography
Purpose: Even though I’m completely over choreo/modern dancing and kpop dancing, I think the love of freestyling and collabing on choreo projects is still within me. I might reach out to some people to work on choreo as I’ve found the collaborative process much more enjoyable than working on choreo alone (even if I already have a lot of ideas).
- Strategy / Action steps: = Reach out to friends who might want to collab on choreography, keep my eyes open for convenient (time & location) freestyle sessions

Financial

Goal: Increase net worth by $100k
Purpose: This will keep me on track to hit my $1M net worth goal before I’m 40
- Strategy / Action steps: Keep monthly expenses low, no new debt, increase income, invest consistently

Spiritual / Community

Goal: Volunteer consistently / weekly at my church
Purpose: I need to focus more of my time giving back to others, which also takes me out of my own head and my own problems by focusing on lifting others up. Even in small ways, I know there are plenty of opportunities to give my time and energy to the right causes that mean something to me. It’ll likely involve a ministry through my church or anything else that comes my way
- Strategy / Action steps: Look through my church’s available ministries and sign up for 1-2; keep my ears open for other service opportunities

Themes, Lessons, and Insights of 2025

I’ve created a separate addendum to this main post. It covers my lessons learned throughout 2025. Click on the header above to be redirected to that post.

Below are the main categories that encompass the list of insights I’ve compiled for the year.

Main Categories

Love & Relationships
Success & Happiness
Health & Well-Being

Thank you, 2025

Even though I ended this year not feeling my best, I’m grateful that my disciplines, habits, and communities kept me going through the challenges.

Discover more from Marlo Yonocruz

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Why Am I Writing This?

My Tradition Since 2016

B.A.G. Format

What I’m Grateful For

Health

Career/Projects

Finances

Spiritually

Special Individuals

My Parents

Siblings

Grandparents

Groups of People

Stats / Achievements

Media

Finances

Career / Projects:

Social

Physical/Personal

Hobbies

Memorable Moments

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

General Thoughts on 2025

1st Half vs. 2nd Half

Growth, Loneliness, and Vulnerability

Goals for 2025

Theme for 2025: Purposeful Service

Projects

Health / Fitness

Comedy

Dance

Financial

Spiritual / Community

Goals for 2026

Theme for 2026: New Adventures & Endeavors

Projects

Health / Fitness

Comedy

Dance

Financial

Spiritual / Community

Themes, Lessons, and Insights of 2025

Main Categories

Thank you, 2025

Discover more from Marlo Yonocruz

Share this:

Related

One thought on “A Year in Review: 2025”

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Discover more from Marlo Yonocruz