Alright, so 2024 is officially in the books. It had a few bumps along the way, but overall, it's been a pretty solid year. I managed to carry over some good habits from 2023, which definitely kept my momentum going. Here’s my rundown:
Mortgage Payments
I stayed aggressive with my mortgage payments this year, aiming to chip away at my debt as much as possible. I’m happy with my progress and might slow things down in 2025 so I can clear remaining credit card bills and start saving for a new home by around 2027. Feels great to see this forward movement.Cold Showers
I’ve basically been doing daily cold showers, though I start off with warm water and then switch to cold. Not sure if there’s any magical health benefit, but I like the hot-cold mix, and I feel pretty good overall, so I’m sticking with it.Traveling to India
It had been 7 years since I visited India to see my family. COVID and other hurdles made it tough, but this year I finally got OCI for both my daughter and me. The paperwork was a giant process - surrendering my old Indian passport, getting the certificate, and then applying for OCI took almost the entire year. But it all worked out in time for me to attend my second cousin’s wedding. It was a fantastic trip and I’m really glad I made it happen.Traveling to Meet My Clients
I traveled a couple of times to Florida to meet my clients, which was really productive. I plan to invest more energy into strengthening this relationship in the coming year. There’s still some pending work on my end that I’ll be prioritizing in 2025.Woodworking
This year, I didn’t do as much woodworking as I would’ve liked. I did manage to build a mud kitchen table for my daughter at her mom’s community garden - that was my main project. I don’t see myself diving heavily into woodworking next year either, but maybe I’ll tackle a small summer project here and there, possibly related to my drone test rig.Drone Test Rig
I spent a good chunk of this year working on a drone test rig for static analysis and testing control system algorithms. That’s where most of my focus will remain in 2025. I’ll be 3D printing parts, improving the design, writing software, and potentially collaborating with others. I’m even thinking about eventually selling it or partnering up. I’m excited to see how far I can take this.A.I.
I’ve integrated A.I. into my life, both personally and professionally. I’m exploring ways to leverage it for my businesses - basically brainstorming how to delegate tasks to A.I. and learn more about the fundamentals along the way. I plan to keep diving deeper into this field next year.HPC
Alongside A.I., I’ve also been looking into High Performance Computing (HPC) to really maximize our compute resources at work. I’ll continue down this path in 2025, especially focusing on distributed computing methods.YouTube Daily Carousel
Towards the end of the year, I started creating daily carousel posts on YouTube, mostly for my own learning about drone technology - covering control systems, sensor fusion, the math behind algorithms, and more. I intend to keep this routine going into 2025.Growing My YouTube Channel
I want to make more videos and add animations to boost quality. I’m aiming for at least two long-form videos a month, plus I might dabble with YouTube Shorts to reach a broader audience. My goal is to position myself as a go-to resource on first-principles thinking for drones.Morning Routine
I’ve been waking up early to get a head start - whether it’s creating my daily YT carousel or working on the drone test rig (software or hardware). I plan to continue this in 2025 because it’s been super productive.Hygiene
I’ve been more proactive about self-care—keeping my beard trimmed, nails cut, just generally staying on top of grooming. Next year, I’d like to step up my clothing game and maybe update my style a bit.Exercising
I invested time and money into my fitness, mainly through TacFit programs. I plan to keep at it in 2025 - staying mobile, healthy, and strong. I’ve carved out a 3:30 p.m. workout slot on most days and plan to stick to that schedule.Diet & Health
I really want to step up my nutrition. I’ll try to eat more fruits and veggies and diversify my healthy options. Hoping to lean on family knowledge to improve my cooking skills and meal planning.That’s pretty much it. Nothing over-the-top, but I’m moving forward with a lot of focus and excitement. Here’s to keeping the momentum going into 2025 and beyond!