Well, it seems this has officially become a yearly ritual—welcome to the 2024 wrap-up! This year, much like the last, has been amazing. Once again, I somehow ended up with more than I deserve. As always, I worked on improving myself, tackling personal hurdles, and keeping a handful of opportunities wide open for the taking. So, let’s dive in and look back at the year in good old chronological order…

Note: The title is a punchline by comedian Jimmy Carr, which inspired me to write this blog

This (left) was the exact moment I realized — I need to lose weight. I started, and at every step, I thought, “I should write about this and wrap it up.” But honestly, it felt like watching water drain from a pot — slow, drop by drop. Luckily, each time, I bested myself and improved. No notes. Just stuck with what worked and ditched what didn’t.

Last week, I broke my streak due to a mismanaged schedule. However, I’ll try to write two posts this weekend. But first, let’s start with the first one.

As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I was working on a project in a completely new field. I was surrounded by people much smarter than me, and it was humbling. However, the last month threw me off track from my goal of having an orderly life—a perfect routine of morning workouts, productive days, and evening reading. To be fair, I managed 1 and 2, but 3 just didn’t happen.

I’ve come to a big realization this past week: only I can truly help myself right now. It’s a lesson I’ve been late to fully grasp, but one that’s incredibly important. Reflecting on things like ethics and navigating the “grey areas” has always been part of my thoughts, but lately, I’ve discovered the power of expressiveness. The grey areas, though, make it tricky to show which side you lean toward, and representing yourself accurately is tough. Without clear self-representation, others will naturally judge—and honestly, they can’t see your context, so it’s logical from their perspective.