I've often wondered how long it's acceptable to wish someone a happy new year. After searching around online, I found that it varies from country to country. In Italy, for example, it's generally not recommended after January 6th (Epiphany). In other countries, it's acceptable until February. But let's be honest—anywhere in the world, people might question your sanity if you do it after March 1st.
So, after this long introduction, let me say—I won't be wishing you a happy 2025. I'm way too late for that.
And perhaps it's also too late to reflect on 2024. But nobody can accuse me of being impolite—or slightly insane—if I do. At the start of last year, I wrote a long post reviewing the previous year and setting milestones for the new one. It wouldn't feel right to leave those thoughts hanging without a follow-up.
Looking back, my resolutions were clear, but not necessarily easy to achieve. I wanted to grow professionally, but at the same time, I aimed to slow down and spend fewer hours in front of my computer. I tried setting a fixed schedule, organizing my learning (or playground) time into two weekly slots. That didn't work—I just couldn't stick to it. What did help was the fact that my wife had to spend many hours studying for her master's degree. I used that same time to work on side projects and revisit the fundamentals of my field (specifically, by reading JavaScript for Ninjas). Thanks to this, I managed to complete a side project (a very, very rare achievement for me) and finally start working on my website—something I'd wanted to do for a long time.
The website is still in beta, and I'll write a dedicated post with a more detailed description once it's in a more solid state. For now, it's my personal playground, where I'm experimenting with the latest React libraries, CSS, animations, and Browser APIs.
I'd say that counts as professional growth. I'm happy with what I've learned in 2024—while fully aware that there's so much more to discover. 2025 is going to be an intense year professionally. My focus is on making the transition as smooth as possible and preparing for new challenges.
My resolution is simple yet crucial: I want to maintain the same level of happiness I have now, despite the big changes ahead. 🌈
Happy nine months less to 2026, everyone.