This year was incredibly eventful and productive! I didn’t expect it, especially considering that I moved to a very small town in the mountains and thought life would become slow and boring (which, a year ago, was what I wanted - and still want, to some extent). The move has been very beneficial for me; living in a more secluded place allowed me to better understand myself and my desires, and I’ve found a direction I want to pursue further.

Over the past year, I’ve (kinda) transitioned from immaturity and a complete unwillingness to work to accepting the fact that you need to sacrifice a small part of your freedom and time to gain another type - financial freedom. For most people, this is an obvious truth, but it took me longer to grasp it than I would’ve liked. As a result, I’ve concluded that the simplest way to handle this is to optimize your work as much as possible and significantly improve your skills to take on more complex, higher-paying tasks that involve less routine work.

Here’s a list of goals (or milestones) for professional growth in 2025:

• Improve editing skills as much as possible. This includes mastering Davinci Resolve and studying literature on composition, color grading, and related fields. This is the foundation, and it needs to be polished to perfection.
• Learn motion graphics. Start by fully mastering Fusion; if that’s not enough, move on to After Effects. This is a key priority and already in progress.
• Study TouchDesigner. While secondary, this can complement the main goals (plus, it’s like modular synthesis in the visual arts world, which is a 100% my cup of tea).
• Learn the basics of design. I’ve avoided this for a long time, but design is crucial for working with motion graphics, so at least the fundamentals need to be covered.
• Work with international clients. I see great potential in work with clients from abroad. However, this is a significant and challenging step with many hidden pitfalls, so I need to start tackling it gradually.
• Achieve stable income without burnout. Find work that doesn’t consume all my time so I can simultaneously learn the above-mentioned skills. The goal is to establish a stable income that covers all my needs.
• Upgrade pc and get a monitor for color grading. After working with basic motion graphics for a few weeks, I’ve realized my i5-8400 can no longer handle the workload. In the first half of the year, I need to replace the motherboard, CPU, and a few other components. I’d also like to buy a monitor with better color accuracy and a larger screen, but prices are high, so I’ll address this when possible.

2024 was my first full year without social media. It was an interesting, sometimes challenging journey that allowed me to discover new interests, meet amazing people, and make unexpected realizations about myself and the world. I want to continue moving in this direction; there are still many areas and issues to work on. Here’s a list of those I’ll focus on in 2025:

• Stop watching YouTube and series. While I’ve avoided social media this year, I can’t fully claim victory since I still struggle with a content consumption habit, especially YouTube (and occasionally TV series). I’ve spent far less time on YouTube this year, and there were periods when I stopped watching it entirely, but the habit hasn’t been fully broken. This needs to change, and I must take it more seriously.
• Learn history. The time freed up from technology has allowed me to explore new interests, one of which is studying history. In 2025, I want to continue and perhaps dedicate more time to it.
• Improve English skills. This year, I started regularly attending an English-speaking club, which has significantly improved my language skills in just a few months. This skill will be invaluable for work, so I need to solidify this habit. I’ve also noticed weaknesses in my grammar, so studying grammar is a huge part of this goal.
• Learn touch typing. I spend a lot of time at the computer and type quite a bit. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I still haven’t mastered touch typing, which slows me down and frustrates me daily. This year, I want to fix this and incorporate touch typing exercises into my morning routine. Ideally, I’d like to type fluently in both Russian and English.
• Continue using a planner. This year, I found what seems to be the perfect tool for tracking my activities - a school-style planner (I've just discovered that it's very different in US, I think it's called "assignment book" there). I’ve tried various methods, from digital notes to reminders and journals, but only the simplicity of a school planner helped me stay organized and productive. In 2025, I’ll continue using it to reinforce the habits I started in 2024 and possibly add new ones.
• Maintain health-related routines. In 2024, I established a decent sleep schedule and started going to the gym (though I missed quite a few sessions and basically the whole summer because it was really hot). This year, I aim to consistently work out three times a week without setting rigid goals - just getting out in the morning and doing what feels right for my body.
• Apply MBTI insights. Toward the end of this year, I delved into MBTI and Jungian theory, not for general purposes but specifically to understand myself better, recognize my strengths and weaknesses, and learn how to work with them. In 2025, I want to continue exploring this, though it’s a secondary priority.
• Adopt healthier eating habits. I’ve improved my diet somewhat over the past year, but toward the end of the year, I started consuming more sugar and pastries (perhaps due to the cold weather). In the new year, I’ll aim for better nutrition, including more wholesome meals.
• Practice having proper rest days. At least one full day off each week. Since my work is project-based and inconsistent, my schedule feels like a blend of workdays and weekends. Essentially, I work every day, but I also rest every day. This needs to be fixed by establishing a proper schedule.
• Revisit driving and road rules. At the end of 2024, I started studying traffic rules and driving, but it turned out to be much more tedious and draining than expected (the legalistic language is particularly off-putting). If I have the time and energy, I’ll try to complete this in the new year, though I’m doubtful since there are many more important tasks. Time will tell.

This post contains only a portion of my reflections and thoughts, as I’ve decided to highlight only the most important aspects. It’s possible that throughout the year, I’ll make adjustments and change course depending on the circumstances - this is by no means a to-do list but rather a general direction that, as of the end of 2024, seems most suitable for my current situation. At the end of 2025, I plan to review the year and assess what I’ve achieved, what didn’t work out, and what challenges arose. I believe such notes can be very helpful for staying on the right track.