December 2025 – Ihor Hadzera

Oh dear, what a year. The last 365 days have likely been the most challenging, tricky, sleepless, and intense I’ve ever experienced. I’m not joking – no exaggeration. Yet, at the same time, it has been the most emotionally fulfilling, joyful, and happy period of my life.

The reason for both ends of that emotional spectrum is the birth of my second daughter back in January. Shortly after she arrived, it became crystal clear that parenthood has an O(n²) complexity in both time and space; however, it also yields n¹⁰⁰⁰ in satisfaction.

Beyond parenting, this year brought a different kind of fulfillment: I was finally reunited with friends and relatives I had been waiting to see for so long. I even crossed paths with acquaintances in the most unexpected places, which was a wonderful surprise. However, it wasn’t all simple – this year also brought a few turning points in long-standing friendships, shifting my perspective on relationships I’ve had for many, many years.

In other areas, this year was decent at best (career-wise) or even a case of ‘good riddance’ (regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other global threats). Nevertheless, 2025 will live in my memory as the sound of my daughters’ laughter and the smell of dirty diapers.

As I mentioned, this year was not a good one for Ukraine. Russia has not abandoned its plans to occupy territory and harm civilians, and despite the media noise, there are no signs of this changing in the foreseeable future. Every day, courageous Ukrainian defenders hold a frontline spanning over 1,000 kilometers. I urge you to support Ukraine’s fight for its people and freedom. You can find a list of major Ukrainian foundations at supportforukraine.pl. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a difference.

2025’s plans progress

Health

Do 48 workout (or other non-running activity) sessions (~1 per week) – 254%

Since mid-July, I’ve managed to create an almost daily home workout habit consisting of pull-ups, push-ups, and dips, tracking 122 activities since then

Run at least 48 runs with a minimum of 300km distance – 120%

Do 5000 pushups/dips – 104%

Even though I’ve managed to complete with 5230, it was much harder to accomplish than I initially assumed

Touch the floor palms-flat with straight legs – 0%

That appeared to be much harder than I expected. I’ve tried to include that to my routine, but without tangible progress, I’ve eventually gave up. I’m still doing to occasional stretching, but not to the point of making my crying 😉

Keep the weight under 80kg – 200%

The starting point was ~87 kg, by changing diet and food preferences I’ve doubled the target with current weight of ~72kg

Professional & Personal Development

Complete leadership workshop (preferably not online) – 0%

Unfortunately, I’ve not managed to do that

Create a publicly accessible pet project with the new language – 50%

Even though there is no publicly accessible pet project, this year I’ve managed to lear basics of Python, which help me a lot in terms of code problem solving practice on LeetCode and NeetCode, so I treat it as 50%

Read at least eight books + 2 reviews – 80%

Even though I’ve managed to finish 12 books, there were no reviews from me, so 80% sounds fair.

Visit at least one tech conference – 100%

I’ve been lucky to attend Devoxx Poland this summer

Have at least 48 “active days” in my personal GitHub account – 6%

I’ve done embarrassing 3 contributions to by GH this year 🫣 (mostly because of laziness, but partly because of the focus on Leet/Neet Code platforms)

Extend Emergency Fund to 9 months’ worth of expenses – 100%

Quite important for me to ensure some sense of security to my family. Done.

Adopt a tool for automatic monthly investments – 0%

It turns out that at this stage of my life, it’s not very useful; I’m mostly focusing on maximizing my IKE/IKZE (US 401k analogues) and overpaying our mortgage. There is no surplus left for automatic investments.

Family

Attend pool classes with my daughter at least 20 times – 65%

We’ve managed to do 13 classes this year and eventually resigned from the pool activities in favor of bicycle rides.

Build a weekly routine of reading Ukrainian books for my daughter – 100%

I’ve started a ‘before sleep’ reading routine with my daughter. Even though we only read for about 10 minutes and she mostly plays with toys while I read, I’m so happy she’s getting better at my language every single day! P.S. Special thanks to Nastya Khlibnyk for bringing us such exciting modern Ukrainian children’s books! ❤️

First outside of Poland trip in an increased shape of our family – 300%

We managed to visit 3 countries this year. Every trip was a bit challenging logistically, but super exciting!

Leisure

Build a daily reading routine – 300 active reading days – 64%

I’ve logged 194 reading days so far. It’s not quite 300, but I can feel the habit becoming more consistent, which is what matters most.

Hike to a new mountain peak or try first Via Ferrata – 0%

There were no new mountains, no Via Ferrata, and no hiking at all this year, mostly because childcare was the priority.

Do at least one “adrenaline rush activity” – 100%

I went to my first-ever motorcycle track day this year! It was such an adrenaline rush. I’m definitely hoping to do it again soon.

Attend at least two concerts/sports events – 0%

There were some plans, which eventually had to be canceled. Next year will be better.

Miscellaneous

Limit daily phone screen time to 2 hours – 100%

Most days, it’s under 60 minutes (excluding the time spent spying on the kids through the baby monitor!). It’s a huge mental relief; however, managing that ‘found’ time wisely isn’t always easy – but maybe that’s a topic for the next post!

Make at least 12 contributions to nonprofit organizations – 100%

All of them have been sent to the Ukrainian charity foundations, especially to Come Back Alive foundation

Donate at least 1.5 liters of blood (3 times) – 66%

2/3, not bad, not perfect

Limit time spent on social media (including YouTube) to 1 hour daily – 60%

It’s a bit of a mixed bag. I’ve pretty much quit social media (Facebook, IG, Twitter, and Strava), which feels great. But I’m finding it much harder to break the YouTube habit; I still spend over an hour a day on it, mostly just having it on in the background.

Learning from 2025

My biggest finding this year is that consistency beats perfection, every single time. Becoming a parent has been the ultimate reality check for me; it taught me that life is unpredictable and plans can change in a heartbeat. When you’re dealing with a sick kid or a sleepless night, “perfect” is simply off the table. But I’ve learned that you shouldn’t allow perfection to kill your momentum.

Even when things go sideways, I stick to the “Two-Day Rule”: I might miss one day because of the chaos, but I never miss two days in a row (maybe just during the vacation time 😉 ) . This approach has been my anchor through the uncertainty of parenthood. It’s not about doing it perfectly; it’s about showing up whenever you can to keep the wheels turning. That steady rhythm is what actually helps you cope when life gets messy.

Sum-up

52% (12/23) – Fully completed targets
22% (5/23) – Progressed well, but not completed
26% (6/23) – Have not been started or progress is negligible

At first look, 52% might not seem impressive, but I’m proud it’s that high considering everything going on. Next year looks just as challenging, so I’m sticking with a 60% completion target for 2026 and a 75% progress level to mark something as ‘done’.

Plans for 2025

Health

Do 48 workout (or other non-running activity) sessions (~1 per week)
Run at least 48 runs with a minimum of 300km distance
Finish marathon distance under 4h
“No screens 30 minutes before bed” habit (at least 180/365 days)

Professional & Personal Development

Complete leadership/managerial workshop (preferably not online)
Finish Neet Code 150 list
Read at least 10 books and write a review of at least one of them
Visit at least one tech conference
Adopt an effective note-taking approach, by at least 48 activities through the year
Receive tech-related certificate (where exam is required)
Improve confidence in a public speech. Start attending classes, and/or find a coach, and/or find a speaking club (e.g. ToastMasters)

Family

Spend quality ‘Daddy time’ at least once a week with each of my daughters, engaging in a shared activity or meaningful connection (aiming for ~100 sessions in total)
Find an opportunity for a date night with my wife at least fortnightly-keeping the spark alive with some dedicated ‘us’ time. 😉
Do at least 1 family camping
Do at least 1 family hiking

Leisure

Extend reading routine to 300 active reading days
Visit new country
Do at least one “adrenaline rush activity”
Attend at least one concert/sport event
Add new board to my collection and have at least 5 “board game” nights

Miscellaneous

Limit daily phone screen time to 1 hour (excluding baby monitor usage)
Make at least 12 contributions to nonprofit organizations (~ 1 per month)
Donate at least 1.5 liters of blood (3 times) and receive an Honored Blood Donor (stage 2) status
Limit time spent on social media (including YouTube) to 1 hour daily

Final thoughts

A lot happened in the world this year. Some things were difficult to watch, like the news about global conflicts, and some were exciting, like the boom of the AI everywhere. Most of the time, we cannot control these big events. However, we can control our “small world” – how we treat others, the habits we build, and the values we live by. By doing what is right in our own lives, we help make the world a better place.

My biggest wish for 2026 is for the russian invasion of Ukraine to finally end. This war has brought so much pain, and I hope for a future where peace returns. On a personal level, I truly hope the situation improves so that it becomes possible to travel and meet my relatives in Ukraine again. Nothing is more important than being with family.

As I head into 2026, I feel hopeful. This year taught me that even if I don’t finish every goal, the important thing is to keep trying. I hope that the next year brings you health, growth, and many happy moments with the people you love.

Wishing you all the best in 2026!

P.S. A few highlight photos from 2025