5 Lessons from 2025

This year quietly reshaped how I work and how I see myself. It wasn’t about big, flashy wins but it was about small shifts that changed my mindset, my pace, and my confidence. Looking back, these are the five lessons that stayed with me.

1. AI changed how I work

This year started with tools like ChatGPT and ended with much more advanced AI-assisted development tools like Cline and Claude Code and honestly, it’s been life-changing.

At first, it felt uncomfortable. My reaction was basically: omg one more new technology that now we need to be across. But honestly, this is me every time I have to open my laptop or books and study something new.

Learning a completely new way of building and thinking about problems forced me out of habits I’d grown comfortable with. I genuinely enjoy the thrill of hands-on development and troubleshooting, and part of me worried I’d lose that.

What actually happened was the opposite.

AI took over the repetitive and time-consuming parts, which freed me up to focus on design, architecture, and intent. It reminded me that learning a new technology isn’t just about the tool, it’s about adapting your mindset. We’re not replacing engineers with agents anytime soon, but we are evolving how we work. Embracing that shift early has been my biggest productivity win this year.

2. Learning to trust myself

Self-confidence has always been something I’ve struggled with. I used to see it as a good thing because it meant I was surrounded by smart people. But I also took everything seriously: feedback, comments, even the occasional smirk I’d get on a Teams call. I’d overthink all of it.

Imposter syndrome has been part of my journey since I entered the industry five years ago. It faded over time and then came rushing back when I switched companies this year.

What I learnt through that transition was simple but powerful: trust yourself. Stop replaying conversations. Stop second-guessing every decision. Get out of your head and start enjoying the process. Confidence, for me, didn’t arrive as a big breakthrough moment, it grew quietly when I chose to believe in my own experience.

3. Sometimes things slip and that doesn’t mean you failed

I struggle to say no. I take on more than I can handle, at work and in life. And when something slips, it used to absolutely destroy me. A lot of that pressure comes from the incredibly high expectations I place on myself.

This year, I learnt that things slipping isn’t the end of the world as long as you communicate early and clearly. I also learnt the importance of flagging when I’m starting to burn out and saying no earlier, before I hit that point. Keeping stakeholders informed and setting boundaries matters far more than silently pushing through and burning yourself out trying to be perfect.

I’m still learning this, but I’m no longer beating myself up the way I used to.

4. Planning realistically beats moving fast

I used to estimate work based on how fast I could do it, not how long it realistically should take. That mindset led to over-commitment and unnecessary pressure.

Working closely with a delivery lead this year helped me unlearn that habit. Good planning includes buffers. It considers dependencies. It assumes interruptions. Providing realistic timelines isn’t a weakness, it’s professionalism.

This shift alone has helped me deliver more consistently without burning myself out.

5. You don’t need to know everything to grow

Technology is vast. No one knows everything, and trying to pretend otherwise only fuels imposter syndrome.

What truly helps is understanding the fundamentals well enough to pick up new things quickly. I love trying new technologies. As Barney Stinson says, new is always better. But new also comes with discomfort and self-doubt.

This year, I stopped fighting that feeling. I started enjoying the process instead. Growth doesn’t come from knowing everything, it comes from being willing to learn.

Closing reflection

This year wasn’t about dramatic wins or overnight transformations. It was about subtle shifts in how I work, how I plan, how I learn, and how I treat myself along the way.

If there’s one thing I’m taking into the next year, it’s this: progress doesn’t always look loud or perfect, but it’s happening as long as you keep showing up.

And that, for now, is enough.