Inspiration

My 2025 in review: Highs, lows, and the road ahead

LinkedIn won't load my year-end review. So I wrote my own.

Paul Mah

20 Dec 2025 — 2 min read

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Simon Wiedensohler

LinkedIn's year-end review won't load for me. So I wrote my own. Here are my highs, lows, what I learned, and my plans for 2026.

When I started writing daily here in 2023, I asked myself: What would I write about if it's only about me? And that's how everything started, with my favourite topics: AI, data centres, cybersecurity, sustainability, enterprise IT, and gadgets.

Over 900 posts later, here are my thoughts as we approach the end of the year.

Highs and lows

My low this year? Having to delete a post with over 600 engagements due to a mistake I made. Well, life goes on. I'll be even more careful with photos used, even those I took myself.

There are definitely way more highs though. Thank you to all of you who wrote in with kind words, suggestions, interesting stories, or industry insights. Really enjoyed catching up and chatting with many in person, including impromptu ones at airport hallways or in immigration queues.

I've also had the chance to look at many gadgets, including laptops, e-readers, smartphones, monitors, computer peripherals, and wireless APs. Hope I didn't make you spend too much money.

Travelled a lot

While I didn't start out with plans to travel, I apparently travelled a fair bit to attend trade events and private tours this year. Not including family trips or non-conference-related trips, it seems I've gone through immigration a dozen times this year.

What I've learned

If I were to narrow down what I've learned this year to three things, it would be:

Nobody knows everything. A common misconception is that others know a lot more than us. They rarely do. Often, they just know enough to ask the right questions. So read up and talk to people more to put yourself in a position to do the same.
Thinking is not optional. In the age of AI, it's tempting to rush headlong into doing or to pass off an AI model's logic as our own. Given how AI "averages" things out, sharp thinking is now more vital than before. And yes, writing is thinking.
Storytelling matters. While I use AI as a tool, I write all my posts by hand. It just seemed right. And you know what, top brands, including OpenAI, are hiring storytellers. Why? To gain an edge over competitors.

The road ahead

I plan to keep doing storytelling in 2026. Some readers have expressed confusion with my channels, so I plan to better differentiate them in the days ahead.