I'm Answering the 40-Questions Reflection Prompt
25 Dec 2025 #miscI’m running another internet challenge.
Well, I don’t know if this was intended as a “challenge” or more like a year reflection. But I found this idea on Ava’s blog. Ava, if you’re reading this, please keep sharing those challenge ideas, I like them.
Unlike most of my posts, I’m not writing them on The Most Dangerous Writing App or fully editing them. If this were a video or a song, I’d be making a single take.
#1. What did you do this year that you’d never done before?
A book! I wrote my first official book, Street-Smart Coding.
I had written two small books before. But I wasn’t confident enough in my writing that I didn’t call them books, but “ebooks.”
After finding about mini books, I changed my mind about what a book is and realized I could write one. So I did it.
#2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions?
I don’t do resolutions anymore.
I used to make a list of resolutions: learning a new language, traveling, doing this or that. But I ended up doing different things from the list.
After resolutions, I tried with “themes,” like Yoga March or Side Projects November. Dunno, they didn’t work either.
My only resolution, let’s say, is to do my daily practice: doing something for my body, mind, and spirit every day. That’s the only goal/plan I’m carrying over 2026.
#3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! One of my best friends after trying for a while had her first baby. Hoooray!
#4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. I lost my mom.
She fought with a chronic disease for over 5 years. And being a writer, I couldn’t avoid writing about her. That’s the saddest post I’ve ever had to write. And my sister and I are about to release a book about our mom.
#5. What cities/states/countries did you visit?
I visited my hometown a couple of times. In fact, I’m writing this in my grandma’s place, where I grew up.
#6. What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year?
Health…and simplicity.
I’m not a sick person. But last year, I had to visit an ER with kidney stones and see a doctor a couple of times. I’m focusing on healthy habits next year: eating the right food in the right amount.
#7. What date(s) from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The date my mom left.
To honor my mom’s memory, I turned that date into my launch day for books and other projects. It’s my way to remember her and dedicate my work to her.
#8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
The book! I’m proud of it.
#9. What was your biggest failure?
I wouldn’t say failure, but that would be landing my first paying ghostwriting client.
After doubling down on my writing last year, becoming a ghostwriter was the natural next step for me. I bought a ghostwriting program and even changed my LinkedIn bio to include “ghostwriter.” I focused on releasing my book and set the ghostwriting gig aside.
#10. What other hardships did you face?
I visited ERs and ICUs with my mom a couple of times.
It was hard. Waiting in rooms, waiting for blood donors, waiting for diagnosis, waiting for surgery paperwork…Traveling across town to spend the day with her while she was in a hospital. Days fulls of uncertainty.
I don’t want to visit a hospital in ages.
#11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. Kidney stones. OMG! It’s painful. Imagine a Heavyweight boxer punching you next to your bladder every second. That’s how it feels…until the stone is out.
#12. What was the best thing you bought?
That’s probably a comfty pair of shoes…and notepads to run my 10-idea lists. That’s how I wrote my book and countless of pieces of content.
#13. Whose behavior merited celebration?
This year, I learned the value of real friendship.
In my saddest moment, two of my friends were with my sister and me. And when another friend found out my mom, he rushed from his city to stay with us for a day.
#14. Whose behavior made you appalled?
Dunno if appalled, but…Online haters.
With more eye balls on my content, I got my first hater, someone calling me “b1tch” for promoting my work. And it seems someone somewhere will always get offended online. The Internet, I guess.
#15. Where did most of your money go?
That’s grocery, bills, medical care, and books.
#16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing the first preorder for my book.
When I saw the email notification, I was like “OMG! OMG! Yes! Yes!” A true happy dance moment.
And months later, I had another happy dance moment when someone called me the “Street-Smart guy” in a comment under one of my posts. That moment I knew my marketing was working.
#17. What song will always remind you of this year?
There’s one.
I can’t remember its title. But it says something like “for a brief moment, there was a future between us.” In Spanish
Of course, that line goes about someone heartbroken in a romantic relationship. But that’s how my sister and I felt about our mom. Listening to that song is part of our ritual to honor our mom every month.
#18. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Richer or poorer? Healthier or unhealthier?
Happier, richer, and healthier.
Well, it’s complicated I feel happier and melancholic at the same time. I’ve had good achievements and I wish my mom were here to see them.
#19. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Being present. I’ve been a time traveler. That has taught me our mind is the battle field with all the thoughts that come and go.
#20. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Scrolling, commenting, and social media.
As part of growing as ghostwriter, I found “grow your own account” and “be your first success case.” That made me spend quite some time engaging and commenting under LinkedIn posts to grow my presence. I found interesting people and Internet friends tho.
But I wish I had done social media less.
#21. How are you spending the holidays?
I took some time off from freelancing. I packed a couple of books with me to visit my uncle and aunt. I’m only writing on my blog and cross-posting to other platforms.
I’m not fully idle, I decided to pick a light project: I’m revamping an old book.
#22. Did you fall in love this year?
No.
#23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Noooo. Hate is a strong word.
#24. What was your favorite show?
#1 by far, House M.D. But I enjoyed Boots, The Recruit, The Diplomat, The Agency. Lots of spy shows, I know.
In fact, I like House M.D. so much that I wrote a couple of posts about it, this one and this one, and included a whole chapter about it on Street-Smart Coding.
#25. What was the best book you read?
I’m trying to remember the books I read…Skip the Line, Steal Like an Artist, and I’m about to finish The Post Office.
#26. What was your greatest musical discovery of the year?
I didn’t have any. I enjoy listening to the same songs over and over.
#27. What was your favorite film?
Not favorite, but I recently enjoyed Reading Lolita in Tehran.
#28. What was your favorite meal?
There’s a salad with cucumber, tomato, mint, parsley, and lemon that my sister makes. I love it. I could eat it every day. It’s a Middle-East inspired recipe.
#29. What did you want and get?
Writing a book.
#30. What did you want and not get?
My mom back home after that last visit to a hospital.
#31. What did you do on your birthday?
After picking up my phone to see what photos I took that day…
I wore a Cartoon Network themed T-shirt my mom and sister bought me. Little did I know my mom was really in pain when she went out to buy it.
I got sentimental writing that last line…
#32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Seeing mom back home…
#33. How would you describe your personal fashion this year?
Just like past years: blue jeans and black t-shirts.
#34. What kept you sane?
Doing a 10-min full body workout, running, and writing every day.
#35. Which celebrity/public figure did you admire the most?
#1. James Altucher, his career progression and writing have been really inspiring to me.
#2. Ryan Holiday. Not that I want to be like him, but I want to make a living reading and writing books too.
#36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I’m not into politics or sports. I don’t like to argue with anyone. Life is too short for arguing.
#37. Who did you miss?
Mom.
#38. Who was the best new person you met?
I didn’t meet many new people in real life. But I met an awarded school teacher, a top cellist, an already FIREd woman, and fellow coders via LinkedIn.
#39. What valuable life lesson did you learn this year?
It’s a cliche until you go through it, but enjoy every moment with your loved ones.
And it was from Choose Yourself Stories by James Altucher that I read about treating every day like the last day of your loved one with you.
#40. What is a quote that sums up your year?
I have a couple:
#1. “One day at a time”
#2. “There are always enough reasons to keep fighting”