How was 2025 for you?

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pizza93878

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roundish_crib43
In 30 minutes here, it will be December 1st, the last month of the year. So, that begs the question, how do you think your year went in 2025?
This post is inspired by Sonygamer455's previous posts about this topic, so it should work the same way. And don't worry, I'll go first.

2025 has been mildly decent for me, I managed to get into GT2 modding which was a good thing, although I did lose one of my greatest opportunities to a frankly stupid reason in the spring, which wasn't very good. I have lost friends and made new ones, and I have apologised approximately 1.3 times a day.
 
Still been working on my film concept (I graduated from college with a degree in film two years ago and now want to do a film project of my own, yet I'm still at very early development), but at least I was able to go to Hanoi (lots of fun there, so much to do yet so little time though), my parents are renewing their vows, and that I'll be heading to France for the second time, and other regions of Europe such as Amsterdam and the three most major regions of Italy (Milan, Florence and Rome).

As for the gaming side, my PS3 gave out due to dust damage, but I was able to get Tokyo Xtreme Racer (PC), the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5, Tekken 8, The Crew Motorfest and the Dead Space remake, and had a blast with these games.

It's been a year of many highs, especially while I'm trying to recover from being cheated on by my former girlfriend, which has been plaguing me since last year, and sometimes I'd relapse into thoughts of revenge.
 
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It's been a good year with some negatives here and there. Work wise, I've had a challenging but successful first full year in my new role at work managing the department I managed a team in prior. Had to let two people go in that time, both 100% deserved, but one was extremely unexpected until it wasn't. You think you know some people until they get arrested for things that might be quite shocking. But we've also hired 4 people this year too and all 4 look like successful hires and have settled in and are doing well. That doesn't always happen.

Personally, it's been pretty good for the most part. Currently in Mexico for 2 weeks. Earlier in the year me, the wife and my father-in-law spent a couple of weeks in Crete, which was great. And me and the missues had 5 nights in Athens before that. Both my parents had treatment for cancer last year but it seems to have gone successfully for both of them, though my dad is looking very frail now and we suspect he's started showing the symptoms of parkinsons, but we're waiting on a diagnosis on that.

My sister-in-law and her husband have moved back to the UK from Perth (they had been living In Sydney prior to moving to Perth due to the cost of living, but didn't settle well in Perth), so we don't need to go to Australia again. Which will save us a nice packet 😂.
 
If I'm honest it hasn't been the year I hoped it would. Although I did manage to get to watch the Speyside Rally and BTCC at Knockhill, this year was mainly overshadowed when my Granny passed away in April which hit me hard. With my Grandads own memory issues, things haven't exactly been looking well.
 
I feel like I've been incredibly lucky this year. My cup doesn't merely flow over - instead, it's lost somewhere in a torrential downpour.
 
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A very mixed bag for me. My job was made permanent last year and so I decided that it was time to sell my flat and buy a house this summer. I didn't quite get round to it though, but it's probably just as well...

I had an amazing summer break this year - I made it to the Nürburging 24h and Spa 24h races back-to-back this year, staying in Adenau for the 'Ring and Francorchamps for Spa. I've been to both races before, so this time I was forearmed with a decent amount of local knowledge, and both visits were pretty much perfect - I even met Kazunori Yamauchi at the Nürb, and I was on the grid for the start of the Spa 24, and also had a brilliant 'back stage' tour of the facilities at Spa as well. I didn't make it to the LM24 but I did have a ticket, but decided to do the N24/Spa24h double-header instead, and will never regret that choice - it was, frankly, mindblowing.

I turned 50 in January and this year has been a mix of 50th and 51st birthdays amongst my friends and I. My mate got a pretty crazy shock in July when he had a stroke while at the dentist - thankfully, he received immediate treatment and has since made a full recovery, but it was a kind of a wake-up call that we're now 'middle-aged', but it has also had the positive effect of making us a bit more open to talking about our changing needs, our problems and our families, as we're all going through different stuff.

After coming home from a normal day of work on Monday 1st September, I started to feel a pain in my abdomen about 8pm, and was in quite a lot of pain by the early hours. A friend took me to hospital in the morning with suspected gallbladder issues, but unfortunately it turned out to be inoperable bile duct cancer. Since then, I've moved out of my flat and back to my Mum's house, but for now I'm doing well and am being very well looked after. My treatment also started last week too. I am, however, grateful for the fact that I never got round to selling my flat and being in the middle of a house-move right now.

I must admit, that while I am not at all depressed by it, I am having some moments of upset and worry - but I've been overwhelmed by the support I've been receiving from friends, family and colleagues. I'm mildly optimistic about getting back to work, but for the moment I am focusing on eating well, staying mentally and physically as fit as I can, and getting back into some fun stuff like setting up my music studio again. I've no doubt that 2026 will be challenging, probably extremely so, but 2025 has been a reminder of how life can be a mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous.
 
2025 has been a bit of a mixed bag but mostly positive, especially after 2023 and 2024 which was the worst year of my life.

I got a promotion at work which is great since it involved a big pay raise and I genuinely enjoy my job but it has also been very stressful since I have to learn many new things and (obviously) lack experience in that position. But I‘m trying my best.

I‘ve also surpassed my fitness goals I set at the beginning of the year and am now in the best shape of my life at close to 35.

But the most important thing is that I was finally diagnosed with ADHD and put on Elvanse which has been helping me tremendously. It took about 6 months and close to 100 phone calls and e-mails to finally get a neurologist who would prescribe it though. The German health care system is a complete joke.

On the other hand I‘ve had some health issues related to my stomach caused by chronic stress so I‘m trying to adapt my nutrition a bit and hope it‘ll get better.

There was also a health scare involving my mom that came out of nowhere that shook me a bit.

I‘ve also had to leave some former friends behind that were a negative influence and I had a bit of a headache concerning a relationship with a girl that probably took five years off my life expectancy.

In general I‘ll have to accept that being ambitious is a good thing but I won‘t be able to do everything I want. You have to take a break sometimes and I tend to want too many things at the same time.

There will be challenges but I finally feel like I‘ve created a solid foundation I can build upon. Therefore I will continue to strive and be disciplined.
 
Imbissbrunto
There will be challenges but I finally feel like I‘ve created a solid foundation I can build upon. Therefore I will continue to strive and be disciplined.
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This is the most important thing, believe in yourself and push yourself where appropriate, but having the right routines and mindset is an important foundation to build on.

Congrats on the promotion, when I was first promoted into a management position I went through similar for a while, though it was a good while ago now, I still remember the issues I had well.

I don't know if you have been promoted to a management position, but two things I had to learn but helped massively was learning to delegate without feeling guilty about it, that took some time. And also overcoming a bit of imposter syndrome where it's all new and I felt like I'd fluked my way into something I might not be able to handle. Which was not the case, and it won't be with you either, you'll have gotten it on merit (unless there was nepotism or bribery involved :lol:).

I've spent over a decade in management since and now manage a whole department, and over that time situations I found really difficult once, I feel quite calm tackling now. There are situations that are never nice, disciplinaries and letting people go, but as long as I'm always aiming to be fair and feel the outcomes are deserved I'm very much at ease with them these days, though they'll never become nice situations to deal with.

But with any new job, especially one that requires new skills and experience you don't yet have, there can be issues that connect to confidence which will naturally improve and be overcome with time as you gain the experience you need. Hopefully your in a workplace where you can get support and assistance when needed, it also helped me to have someone more experienced in a similar role I could reach out to when I needed advice on certain situations and also having a manager above me who was supportive.

You're own mental and physical health is no less important after a promotion than it was before a promotion. It sounds like you're on the right track and looking after yourself. Always make time for yourself, take breaks from your normal routine and work, and have moments to slow down and let go of stress as best you can.
 
Dave A
This is the most important thing, believe in yourself and push yourself where appropriate, but having the right routines and mindset is an important foundation to build on.

Congrats on the promotion, when I was first promoted into a management position I went through similar for a while, though it was a good while ago now, I still remember the issues I had well.

I don't know if you have been promoted to a management position, but two things I had to learn but helped massively was learning to delegate without feeling guilty about it, that took some time. And also overcoming a bit of imposter syndrome where it's all new and I felt like I'd fluked my way into something I might not be able to handle. Which was not the case, and it won't be with you either, you'll have gotten it on merit (unless there was nepotism or bribery involved :lol:).

I've spent over a decade in management since and now manage a whole department, and over that time situations I found really difficult once, I feel quite calm tackling now. There are situations that are never nice, disciplinaries and letting people go, but as long as I'm always aiming to be fair and feel the outcomes are deserved I'm very much at ease with them these days, though they'll never become nice situations to deal with.

But with any new job, especially one that requires new skills and experience you don't yet have, there can be issues that connect to confidence which will naturally improve and be overcome with time as you gain the experience you need. Hopefully your in a workplace where you can get support and assistance when needed, it also helped me to have someone more experienced in a similar role I could reach out to when I needed advice on certain situations and also having a manager above me who was supportive.

You're own mental and physical health is no less important after a promotion than it was before a promotion. It sounds like you're on the right track and looking after yourself. Always make time for yourself, take breaks from your normal routine and work, and have moments to slow down and let go of stress as best you can.
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Thanks for the kind words mate, I really appreciate it! Yes, I will. Actually, according to upper management one of the reasons I was chosen was that I keep a level head and stay calm under pressure so that shouldn‘t be a problem.

Lol and I can assure you there were neither nepotism nor bribery involved. I wish I was rich enough to buy myself into postitions at work. 😂

I will also get the adequate support so that shouldn‘t be a problem. I‘ve just had to realize that I have to tone down a bit on all the stuff I do in my free time.

I train MMA 4x a week (which is fun but very taxing) in addition to cardio training and other things like having a social life and my creative hobbies (such as making liveries in Gran Turismo which I really enjoy). I‘m an introvert and need alone time to recharge therefore I will have to prioritize that. But I‘m confident that I‘ll be able to. Like you said it‘s all a matter of getting used to the new situation and adapting!

And I completely agree with you, mindset is everything! 💪
 
On a personal level it was a stable year which was nice. I enjoyed stability at my job, stable home, stability amongst friends, and the ability to start big plans for the future. There were a few hiccups but nothing that caused long-term issues. As a single man it wasn't the most exciting year on the books but stability is worth quite a lot in my opinion, especially as long as I've been striving for it. Stability and lack of worry is something a lot of people wish for, especially as the world around us falls apart.
 
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2025 was much like every year since about 2020 when I realised that time is disappearing at an alarming rate and I seem to repeat the same year, only with minor adjustments, consecutively.

This is not something I am complaining about. I like stability and familiarity. New faces, same job. New vehicles, same roads (same vehicles, new roads too). Same dumb choices, same saving graces.

2025 is another year I’ve survived, in general; prospered in some aspects, and lost control in others. On the whole no complaints or regrets more than previous years.

If I carry on the same way for the next decade it wouldn’t surprise me. Or anyone around me. I’ve carved a niche, and it’s in that which I drive forward through time.
 
It started off being one of the best years I've ever had and the other half past July has just been the worst. My mental health got really bad and it's been a struggle. I'm beginning to feel a tad bit better right now so I'm hoping 2026 starts off good.
 
So for the past 5 years, I've gotten into the habit of typing a document listing highlights, good and bad, that happen as the year progresses, and of course, I did the same again this year. Now that 2025 is over and I can't think of anything else to add to it, the list is complete. Here is everything that I documented along the way:
  1. Had a VERY successful year in regard to gaming. Those being:
    1. Earlier this year, I replayed a few games from the Lego Star Wars series for the first time in a long time, starting with the first and making my way up to the 3rd game, and had a good time doing so.
    2. Later went back and replayed the Spyro series again in March and had a lot of fun with that too.
    3. After years of desiring to revisit it and a number of unpleasant things getting in the way, I finally made my way back to NASCAR Rumble in July and did another playthrough for the first time in 20 years. This eventually led to me playing NASCAR a whole lot more and having the most fun I’ve ever had with them.
    4. Got some much-needed maintenance done on my PS3, and in June, I upgraded the old and dying HDD I had been using since 2018 to an SSD, which proved to be a very worthwhile investment.
    5. I also got a 4TB SSD for my laptop back in June to keep all my games on, free up a ton of space on my main drive, and not have to depend on my external HDD as much anymore. This proved to be a worthwhile upgrade because my laptop’s main SSD was way too small, and I needed the extra space.
    6. I pretty much kicked down the barriers that had prevented me from enjoying PC gaming over the years, and my interest in PC gaming as a whole has soared tremendously.
    7. Got pretty deep into modding in Need for Speed Most Wanted 2005, gained a lot of experience with it, and generally had a great time doing so.
    8. Gained a bit more knowledge on sprite ripping and was finally able to rip some I had been unable to rip for years.
    9. Got a few good games this year, including the PAL version of Spyro 1, which became my first ever non-NTSC PS1 disc I own, in addition to the Japanese version of GT Advance, which, like the PAL version of Spyro 1, is also my first Game Boy game from outside my region, and, of course, NASCAR 25. Lastly, after putting off on it since its release for the sake of getting familiar with the originals and many things getting in the way over the years, I finally got the Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
  2. Although I didn’t buy as much as I have in the past, I did get more good music this year, including a CD I had been looking for since 2020, and a fairly uncommon one I had been searching for about as long.
  3. Speaking of music, I finally hit my goal of 5000 country songs in my library after years of building upon it.
  4. After losing his job in 2024 and us having to watch our spending as a result, my dad finally got on disability this year.
  5. After being hit by a car, we brought a feral cat in from outside to take care of it, who we had known and cared for ever since he was a kitten. He later became our new house cat.
  6. Went to the Spring Fling at my old elementary school again this year and had a GREAT and nostalgic time there. I got to see some old friends, venture into some places I hadn’t been to in a long time, and it all proved to be a lot better than expected! Possibly one of the best ones I have had yet!
  7. My love for robots reignited again in April, and this encouraged me to pull mine out for the first time in years. Which later led to me playing around with them again and even getting some new ones later on.
  8. Finally broke my habit of drinking Mountain Dew on a regular basis for the first time in nearly a decade back on April 9th, and as of me writing this, I have yet to drink another.
  9. Me and my family got a John Deere Gator in June, something we needed, something I had liked since I was a child, and one I had a lot of fun driving too.
  10. Finally severed my connection with my ex-girlfriend from college, who had given me so many problems in the past 5 years and was showing no signs of ever improving. (although it did come at a cost)
  11. Went on vacation with my family to Oak Island, and while I didn’t enjoy it as much as Myrtle Beach, it did prove to be a great trip!
  12. Had a cookout at my late grandmother's house in October and had what was easily one of the best Nerf wars I’ve had in years there.
  13. My sister started working on my late grandmother's house in November and is expected to move in by April.
  1. Didn’t have too good of a Valentine's Day this year due to being very moody on that day. Which was very unfortunate because it had been 20 years since I had my best one ever, and I had hoped for it to be as good as last year's.
  2. One of our beloved house cats, named Pixel, disappeared in late March and mid-October. While we did find him on March 30th and again on October 16th, the fact that he went missing at all was not a comforting feeling for us.
  3. I was still feeling the effects of the things that happened in 2024 as time progressed. Namely, the death of our beloved cat Fluffy, the drama with my former classmates, and the simple fact that I am no longer at my community college anymore.
  4. My father’s health problems have only gotten worse since last year, and we have no Earthly clue why or what to do about it.
  5. Kind of an extension of #3, but despite not having much to do with her anymore, the drama from last year with my ex-girlfriend, who was among those classmates I mentioned, got to where it bothered me so bad; my mental state degraded significantly near the end of May, and just days later, I ended up having to do something about it, which I have had mixed feelings about. It took me quite some time to get past it, too, and of all things I could mention here, this is easily the worst of them all. On the bright side, it did lead to #11 in The Good happening, but as I said, it wasn’t without cost.
  6. Had a pretty mediocre Christmas for similar reasons to what I said in #1. Although it wasn’t a total failure, despite feeling fine the day before, I generally did not feel right all through Christmas Eve, or even a couple of days after, and it all could’ve been so much better had it not been for this.
Looking at my list, I noticed there's a lot more in the good category than the bad, and I think that's great! :D Of all the things in the good category, I think I am torn between #6, #11, and #12 as to which was best. 2025 turned out pretty well overall, heck of a lot better than 2024, better than 2023 as well, but maybe not quite as much as 2022. I am feeling pretty optimistic about 2026, and I am hoping it will improve upon what 2025 was. 👍
 

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