Table of Contents
- 👍🏼 2025 Highlights
- 👎 2025 Lowlights
- YouTube: Good, Bag & Ugly
- More & Less of in 2026
- 2025 Favorites
- Wrapping Up
It’s a new year, and every TV anchor is once again in complete shock that the laws of space and time are still in effect.
- I can’t believe it’s December.
- Can you believe it’s Christmas already?
- 2025 flew by!
We’ve all heard it. We’ve all said it (or at least I have).
And yes, time does indeed march on.
In this post, I’m reflecting on the past year, mostly in an effort to organize my thoughts and codify some memories.
Let’s get into it…
👍🏼 2025 Highlights
In no particular order:
40th Bday
I turned 40, and most of my family flew out to AZ from the east coast for a big party.
One of my oldest friends also came out (his birthday is a few days after mine) to celebrate together.
I was on the tail end of a pretty bad flu, but we still had an awesome time!
Community
This year, I decided to be more intentional about building community in our neighborhood.
You know, settling in. Getting to know the neighbors. Participating.
First, I became an officer in the neighborhood association (not an HOA; we don’t care what color you paint your door).
We hosted a few social events and neighborhood clean ups, installed a Little Free Library in our park, and started exploring grants for having traffic calming measures installed on our streets.
I’ve never voluntarily gotten involved in something like this.
- It’s not convenient.
- It can be boring.
- It’s unpaid.
But it’s good for the neighborhood, and it’s surprisingly good for me.
Second, I started hosting a neighborhood guys night about once a month.
It started small, just a couple of other dads who live within walking distance.
Now, we’re a group of about 8-9 guys. Some have kids, some don’t. Some are youngish, some retired.
The one thing we have in common? We all live near each other.
No one has to drive anywhere. It’s just an open door (or gate, actually; we hang in my back yard) for a couple hours every few weeks.
Funny thing is, word has gotten out about how much fun we’re having.
I’ve gotten a couple of requests to join the club and – this cracks me up – the neighborhood women are jealous of our hangs, and they’re trying to start their own ladies night.
I LOVE the idea of standing social events. Open houses, if you will.
Once a week or month, invite people to your house. If no one shows up, fine. If 10 people show up, great!
Just keep doing it. It forces you to hang out, even if you’re tired or not in the mood. You’ll be glad you did. And it’s so much easier than making one off plans and trying to coordinate travel logistics.
Don’t just wait for an invitation. Be the inviter.
Email Newsletter
I’ve always had an email list, but never really a newsletter.
In the content creator / online personality (or whatever you want to call it) world, newsletter are hot right now.
In an age of algorithmic discovery and algorithm-generated feeds, it turns out that good old email is still the most reliable way to reach people.
In other words… YouTube no longer shows your videos to subscribers (you know, the people who clicked the “show me your videos” button).
But email? Everyone still checks it.
So it’s a good platform for writers and creators.
I like it because it’s not so precious. I don’t have to think about the algorithm. I can just write about whatever I want, kind of like I’m doing right now.
My newsletter isn’t huge: I’ve culled it down to about 15k readers who get an email from me every week.
I review stuff that doesn’t shop up on YouTube. I talk about dad life, fitness and other “personal development” topics.
I share the best articles and videos I’ve come across lately, and sprinkle the occasional meme or quote.
I really enjoy working on it each week. You can sign up right here.
Being a YouTuber
After selling my blogging business, I was left with my YouTube channel.
This was the first year in which YouTube was the only source of income for our little family of four.
I like it because it’s an extremely flexible job. Some weeks, I worked overtime. Others, barely at all.
Most weeks, I worked part-time, maybe 25-30 hours (fit into nooks and crannies, not full 8 hour weekdays).
And it was fine! We made enough money to cover our cost of living.
With a full year of earnings data, I feel comfortable that this is a good gig for me and my family right now.
It’s not that I won’t try other things (more on that later). It’s just that YouTube can be enough if I need it to be.
And, if I have more time to spend or want to ramp things up, that’s totally doable. I could make twice as many videos and earn twice as much money.
I might go harder on the channel someday, but that’s just not the season of life I’m in right now.
Drumming
I know that playing drums will be more fun if I’m technically more proficient (mastery is fulfilling, after all).
That’s why I’m been trying to practice more, instead of just playing.
I’ve been testing a few online courses from my favorite drum YouTubers, and I’ve already made decent progress.
In 2026, my aim is to practice every day in a more structured way, which is actually really fun.
I also want to get a few IRL jam sessions in.
Vibe Coding
I spent about a month vibe coding random ideas with Lovable.
As a non-programmer, I was blown away by what could be done.
My best project was vidrunner.com, a lightweight suite of tools designed to help YouTubers save time on tedious formatting tasks (like creating timestamps for the video description).
More to come with this project in 2026…
👎 2025 Lowlights
Now for the bad news 😅
BJJ Injuries
I’ve trained BJJ on and off for over 10 years. After a 3+ year break that started before the pandemic (and that was partially due to injuries), I got back on the mats when my wife and I moved back to AZ two years ago.
I trained consistently, at least 3x a week, and I went to the occasional open mat at other gyms.
I love the sport. I’m not very good, but I enjoy it so much. It’s the perfect mix of physical and mental exertion.
I love my academy and training partners too. BJJ checks so many boxes: social, physical, cognitive.
But it also destroys your body, slowly but surely. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been injured. Most upper belts I know are nursing some sort of chronic pain.
During my white belt years, I dislocated two ribs and did some permanent damage to one rotator cuff.
In the past two years, at blue and purple belt, I:
- Dislocated my collar bone
- Hyperextended my ankle
- Got a pinched nerve in my neck
- Broke my foot
That last one, the broken foot, took months to heal. Almost 4 months later, I’m still not 100%.
And it really impacted my life. Obviously, I couldn’t train, but that’s not the end of the world.
The harder part was, I couldn’t pick my kids up. I couldn’t drive them (or anyone) anywhere for six weeks. I couldn’t play with them.
It put extra burden on my wife, who already does more parenting than I do.
And it made me seriously question, once again, if this sport is sustainable. If the benefits (which are substantial) outweigh the cost.
If I wasn’t a dad, I’d be back on the mats by now. But at this stage in life, another injury (which seems inevitable) would be pretty depressing.
For now, I’m lifting 2x a week, once with a trainer and once on my own, and I plan on testing out a few BJJ alternatives (swimming, boxing, Muay Thai, maybe something else).
One upside, while my cardio probably sucks, my body feels pretty good. No daily aches, pains, bruises and mat burns. A little silver lining!
Sleep Deprivation
The hardest part about parenting, and something I think most older parents forget about (and therefore understate), is just how much it impacts your sleep.
With our first daughter, the first year was tough. But once she figured it out, she became a reliably great sleeper.
Number two, however, almost never slept through the night for the first two years of her life.
During the worst stretches, I’d be up multiple times every single night, making bottles, rocking her back to sleep, taking her on stroller rides or driving around during the wee hours of the morning.
A couple months ago, it seemed like she was figuring it out. I had like three weeks of consistently good sleep, and I felt like a freakin’ superhuman.
Then she got sick and started struggling again.
Ugh…it’s like getting pummeled by waves, and getting your head above water for a few breaths, then going right back to drowning.
Sleep is a multiplier. When you’re rested, everything is better. My mood, my outlook on life, my productivity, my energy levels in the gym and at home.
When you’re tired (or in my case, chronically mildly sleep deprived for years), like can start looking pretty bleak.
I talked to a therapist about this, and the stress of parenting two young kids, in general, which helped.
But we’re not out of the woods yet. And I’m not sure there’s anything to be done about it, other than accept how difficult it is, and lower the bar as much as possible.
YouTube: Good, Bag & Ugly
I published 23 long YouTube videos and 38 shorts in 2025. Here are some stats:
I’ve gradually shifted the channel’s focus away from men’s fashion and into broader “lifestyle” topics, including EDC, watches, home upgrades and personal development.
Let’s look at the best and worst of what I made:
Most Popular Videos
These are the top performers that were published in 2025:
Don’t buy the Casio F91W (buy this instead) – I put more effort into original short form videos this year, and while nothing went viral, this one did well. I should make more content like this, but I tend to still prefer the longer format.
23 Small Things You Should Buy – This is now my 6th most viewed video of all time, and I’m cool with that. I think it’s helpful. The stuff I recommend is practical (stuff I actually own and use), not just random Amazon affiliate filler. I also think the editing and pacing is solid.
The Flops
These videos did terribly:
What Fight Club Got Wrong – This kind of video would have been a better fit for my alt channel; in hindsight, it didn’t have much potential (although I still think the script and message is solid).
8 Marketing Tricks Brands Use (Spin to Win?) – I wish this video did better because it’s a message people need to hear. It also took forever to make! At least I learned a lot about Final Cut Pro’s magnetic masking tool.
My Best Work
Here are the videos I’m really proud of, regardless of performance:
If your dryer could talk – As an experiment, I did a handful of comedic shorts. They were actually really fun to make, and this one was my favorite. I don’t think the format really makes sense for my channel, but it was a fun little experiment.
10 Buy It For Life Products – I like this one because it’s about products I’ve owned for a long time. So it’s a listicle buying guide, like many of my videos, but it felt extra genuine.
I just turned 40 – This kind of video is hit or miss, in terms of performance, but I enjoy creating them. It’s fun to share some beliefs and learnings, especially around big milestones (like turning 40).
Stop getting scammed by fake gurus – I made this video for my second channel, which is more causal and less produced (not monetized, no pressure to perform). It’s a message I’m very passionate about, and it felt good to get it out there.
Going Forward
Once you get to “full time” status on YouTube, there are a couple of directions you can go:
1 – Start building the business. Hire editors, writers, admins. Make more content, sell more sponsorships, build the team up to the point where you’re more of an on screen personality vs. a solo creator.
2 – Become a craftsman. Write, shoot and edit everything (or most of it) yourself. Publish fewer but better videos. Try to make art, not content.
I’ve tried both approaches, both on YouTube and with my old blogs.
I’m more fulfilled when I take the craftsman approach, when I feel like I’m putting a lot of creative energy into a hand-crafted piece of content that’s a genuine reflection of my personality. Ideally, it’s also helpful and entertaining.
Sure, it’s a bummer when it doesn’t do well. But I’d rather make stuff I’m proud of, algorithm be damned.
So, this year, I’m saying yes to fewer sponsorships, and I’ll be putting out fewer videos.
I’m okay with one video taking a few weeks to produce. I just want to like my own work, and I never want to phone it in.
More & Less of in 2026
Some simple mantras for the upcoming year:
| MORE | LESS |
| Reading physical books before bed | Show and podcasts before bed |
| Tracking what I eat | Worrying about nutrition and calories |
| Practicing drums | Busy work |
| Guilt free spending | Worrying about money |
| Traveling to see friends | Alone time |
| Sleep | Staying up late for no reason |
| Reading long form articles | Social media |
| Craft | Business |
| Acceptance | Anxiety |
| Doing | Planning |
| Long term goals | Short term thinking |
| Tiny experiments | Rigid concrete goals |
Finally, let’s wrap things up with some of my favorite things from 2025:
2025 Favorites
Starting off with media:
📺 Shows & Movies
Andor – gotta love a show that knows when to end
Stranger Things – at the time of writing, the final season isn’t over, but it’s already looking like an epic conclusion to an amazing show
Pluribus – I’ll watch anything Vince Gilligan makes
Perfect Days – more vibe than plot, this is a slow burn, relaxing meditation of a movie
📚 Books
The Expanse – absolutely epic 9 book space drama featuring realistic physics, decades long character development, tense combat and mind-bending aliens (the audiobooks are incredible too)
Stolen Focus – best nonfiction book I read in 2025; excellent journalism, engaging writing, and a message we all need to hear right now
🎙️ Podcasts
The Tim Ferris Show – one of my favorite all time podcasts; I especially enjoy Tim’s episodes with Kevin Rose
Search Engine – the new version of Reply All, which was probably the best show from the golden age of podcasting; favorite episodes include The Dave and Buster’s Anomaly and Cocomelon For Adults
Science Vs – this show isn’t perfect; it’s a bit biased and tried to cram a ton of info into 30 min episodes, but it’s a good place to start when you’re trying to get to the bottom of big, complicated topics like microplastics and seed oils
Products
👟 Hoka Gaviota 5 – stable, cushioned sneakers for everyday casual wear and/or – running; I tried a bunch of shoes this year, and these Hokas were among the best
👕 Abbreviated Apparel – definitely my favorite new menswear brand; their work jacket, fisherman sweater and crew neck tee especially stood out (mini review here)
👖 Abercrombie 90s Jeans – the best fitting jeans I’m worn in years; just a touch of stretch for comfort without feeling synthetic (mini review here)
💼 Blue de Cheuffe Musette Bag – fell in love with the look, stuck around for the functionality; just an incredibly made, exceedingly handsome laptop/work bag (see it in action here)
🧦 American Trench Cotton Socks – simple, high quality cotton socks in quarter or crew, solids or stripes, made in USA for a reasonable price
⌚️ Oris BC3 7501 – a neo-vintage gem of a watch from an under the radar entry-level Swiss luxury brand, in a compact no nonsense 34mm case
🔦 RovyVon A8 – new favorite flashlight; small but powerful; lots of different modes, perfect for clipping to the stroller or powering up your watch’s lume
🧴 Aveeno Oat Gel Moisturizer – the only moisturizer that seems to help with some random dry/itchy flare ups on my face (and I tried a BUNCH this year)
🪟 Motorized Shades – I’m slowly installing these over every window in the house; totally worth the effort if you need new window coverings (as seen in this video)
💪🏻 Fairlife Core Power – trying to up my protein intake a little, and these are by far the best tasting ready-to-drink protein shakes you can buy
I’m sure there’s more, but those are the things that come to mind.
Wrapping Up
I like writing these annual reviews. I used to do it every year, although it was more like an income report back then.
Even if no one reads this, it forces me to reflect on the year, which helps gain perspective for the next year.
If you’re reading this, thanks for following along, and hi Mom 👋🏼
I hope you have an awesome 2026!