Today is the first Saturday of 2025, and I am working overtime. I spent the day writing my team’s 2024 summary, and at night I finally had time to review what I did in 2024. If I pause and think, what would I say to my 2025 self?
At this moment, a famous line from Romain Rolland came to mind:
There is only one true heroism in the world: to see the world as it is and still love it.
For me in midlife, this line means something different: it sounds grand, yet feels ordinary. What is “life” anyway? The life each person has lived or can live is completely different. Standing at the start of 2025, I would tell my future self: build the ability to choose what kind of life you want. In a difficult environment, expand your capability boundaries and give the future more possibilities.
Travel
This year I visited a few places at home and abroad and experienced different cultures. I also met an old friend in Hangzhou and talked for two days straight.
- February trip: Fuzhou -> Quanzhou -> Xiamen
Fuzhou: got our New Year’s Eve dinner before McDonald’s closed so we did not end up eating instant noodles on New Year’s Eve.
Quanzhou: half the city is fireworks, half the city is gods. There is a temple every few hundred meters. You can feel the ease and calm of living there, as if no problem is too big for so many deities.
Xiamen: a city I have visited many times. A classic seaside town. This time I skipped the famous attractions and just wandered.
- March: visiting old friends in another city (Hangzhou)
I flew to Hangzhou to meet friends I had not seen in a long time. We talked about the past and the present. One takeaway: when friends live in different cities, meeting once often requires annual planning.
- May trip: Ningbo
Dongqian Lake: beautiful scenery. I have been to Lugu Lake before; each has its charm.
Ningbo Museum: went mainly because it was a filming location for The Three-Body Problem.
- July trip: Georgia
A very long flight: Beijing -> Urumqi -> Tbilisi (capital of Georgia), more than ten hours.
Simple folkways + European style + Asian prices: Georgia has kind people. Tourism is not very developed yet, so things are not expensive and there is no tourist trap vibe. My guide was local and spoke English, Chinese, Georgian, and Russian, so communication was easy.
Recommended places: Tbilisi city walk, Kazbegi, Batumi (Black Sea). The churches are so many I cannot remember them all.
- September trip: Anaya Jinshanling
Went with a friend’s family. Not far (about 150 km from Beijing). Fully pet-friendly. The community feels very Anaya. Great for pet lovers and small group gatherings.
- November: musical, Man of La Mancha
Took my kid to a live musical for the first time. I had not read Don Quixote systematically before, but I knew the theme. The show moved me and helped me rethink idealism and how to pursue it.
Work
Not much change. My team and I kept moving bricks and delivering. But in 2025, I need to keep independent thinking and focus on a few important goals.
Inputs and Outputs
Inputs
I adjusted some of my information intake tools this year. Here is what I use now.
Follow
Crushes every RSS tool I used before. Now my only RSS + newsletter tool.
Cubox
My long-term read-later tool for organizing scattered information.
Xiaoyuzhou
Listened for 138 hours this year. Two podcasts I cannot live without:
Between Reality and Fiction
The best podcast I have ever heard, no exaggeration. High quality and high cognition. Since it launched in 2023-10, I have listened to every episode.
Xiaoyuzhou - Between Reality and Fiction
69 hours total this year
Shengdong Morning Coffee
Every workday morning, 15 minutes on my commute to catch up on global tech and business news.
Xiaoyuzhou - Shengdong Morning Coffee
47 hours total this year
WeRead + Print Books
- Zhang Juzheng
Historical novel. Zhang Juzheng was a formidable figure who pushed a series of reforms during the Wanli era, such as tax reform and cutting redundant officials, but it was extremely difficult. The book also shows how he navigated complex political struggles. You finish it thinking: how hard it is to be a reformer in history.
- The Little Prince
Each journey is like a mirror that makes you reflect on friendship, love, and growth. On the surface it is a fairy tale, but it is really about life philosophy.
- Rework: Escape the Madness of Busywork
Written by the founders of 37signals, it proposes a counter-mainstream approach to work and entrepreneurship, emphasizing less busyness, focus on core goals, and more effective execution. Think independently.
- I and the Temple of Earth
Essays. The place became a stage for Shi Tiesheng to think about life. He writes about death, maternal love, and the meaning of life. The prose is plain but moving. The descriptions of the Temple of Earth are great material for kids’ essays.
- Stories of the Sahara
Sanmao and her husband Jose lived in the Sahara Desert. The conditions were harsh, but their life was romantic. The book records interesting people and events and her love for life. It reads easily but has depth. I even searched Xiaohongshu to see photos of her former home, which made me feel more immersed.
- A Brief History of Chips
In the year AIGC took off, I stumbled on this book. It brought back memories of my college courses and projects. From the first transistor to how chips shape global tech today, the author explains it clearly. You will see the tech story behind the scenes.
- Inside the System
If you are interested in economics but find it too complex, this one is perfect. It explains how the Chinese economy operates in simple language and clarifies the difference between “inside” and “outside” the system. You will better understand our economic logic.
- Beyond Sapiens
Harari’s new book. It explores how future AI and biotech may change humanity. It also reflects on the challenges of progress: are we happier, or have we lost something important?
DeDao
I took two history courses: Shi Zhan’s Outline of Chinese History, and Li Jun’s Outline of Western History. I love “big history” and these two courses are excellent. Recommended for anyone who likes wide historical narratives and connected timelines.
Duolingo
I kept learning English for 365 days again. But to keep more options open, I plan to increase my English effort in 2025. The goal is to reach a level where I can work and live in English-speaking countries (I am still far away, but a goal is a goal).
Keep going! Give myself and my family more possibilities. It is better to push myself than to push my kid; pushing kids is not very cost-effective right now.
Outputs
Notion
My main daily output tool for organizing ideas, managing work, and personal learning.
Blog
At the end of this year, I grabbed a cheap VPS during Black Friday (https://cloudcone.com/). After that impulse buy, the VPS could not sit idle, so I migrated my blog from a static Vercel site to a WordPress dynamic blog on the VPS.
I wrote only six posts this year, about one every two months. Next year, try harder.