WDWN: 2025 Recap & 2026 Plans

As we inch closer to the end of 2025, I find myself sitting with a lot of mixed emotions. Gratitude, heartbreak, pride, exhaustion, and hope — all tangled together. If I had to sum up 2025 in one sentence, it would be this: it wasn’t easy, but it shaped me in ways I didn’t expect.

Let’s start with the good, because there was good — really, really good.

2025 gave us Mayhem. Lady Gaga releasing what is, in my opinion, her best album ever already felt like a blessing. But seeing her live in Singapore? That was something else entirely. Hands down, the best day of my life. A full-circle moment for the kid who found comfort, courage, and identity through her music. I don’t think anything will ever top that feeling — and honestly, I’m okay with that.

2025 also welcomed new life into our family. Becoming a grandpa again and welcoming my second grandchild, Eve Irdina, reminded me that life continues to bloom even when everything else feels uncertain. In moments where I felt lost, that tiny reminder of new beginnings meant more than words can explain.

Despite everything, I also made meaningful connections this year. While the management may have been toxic, my colleagues were not. They were kind, supportive, grounding — proof that sometimes the people beside you are what keep you standing when everything above you feels like it’s collapsing.

But 2025 wasn’t all concerts and milestones.

I got scammed by a fishy company that promised me one role and delivered something completely different, only to terminate me for not doing a job I was never hired to do in the first place. I worked in a toxic environment where gaslighting felt like a management style, where short deadlines, unrealistic KPIs, and impossible workloads were treated as “normal.”

Eventually, my anxiety — which had been quiet for almost two years — made an uninvited comeback. And honestly? I didn’t see it coming. I thought I was stronger than that. Turns out, strength doesn’t make you immune.

Then came the three months of being jobless. Three months that shook me to my core. Financially, emotionally, mentally. It forced me to sit with my fears, my self-worth, and my reality in ways I had been avoiding for years.

2025 humbled me. Broke me a little. But it also showed me what truly matters.

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Looking Ahead: 2026, Please Be Kinder

As I step into 2026, I’m not coming in with grand resolutions or unrealistic expectations. I’m coming in with intentions — softer, more honest ones.

First, I want to focus more on my spiritual journey. Getting closer to God, trusting His plans, and finding peace in surrender. Amin. I’ve learned that when everything else falls apart, faith is often the only thing that quietly holds you together.

I also want to be more consistent with my savings. Being jobless for three months really shocked my system and forced me to confront how fragile financial stability can be. I don’t want to live in fear, but I do want to live prepared.

In 2026, I’m planning to start some small businesses — not out of greed, but out of survival and self-protection. Having an extra blanket for rainy days feels necessary now, not optional.

And most importantly, I want to live my life more. Complain less. Be present more. Laugh louder. Rest without guilt. Do things simply because they make me feel alive.

I don’t know what 2026 will bring. But if 2025 taught me anything, it’s that I’m capable of surviving more than I ever thought I could.

Here’s to hoping the next chapter is gentler — and if it’s not, I trust that I’ll still find my way.