Life Changes

1. Alcohol

   For reasons I can’t quite explain, I began tracking my alcohol consumption in 2025. While I don’t drink excessively—my wife and I stopped drinking alcohol at home when she was pregnant—I still enjoy a drink occasionally during social gatherings. This year, I logged 40 alcoholic consumptions using the iOS Health app, and surprisingly, it led to me drinking less. The simple act of keeping track seemed to unconsciously curb my consumption.

2. Running

   Throughout most of 2025, I met up with a friend once a week to run just over 5 kilometers. Nothing to write home about. However, come autumn, I decided to gradually increase my runs to three times a week, aiming to hit 10 kilometers by the end of the year. So far, so good—now I just need to keep it up to achieve some real distances in 2026.

Reading & Writing

3. Reading

   The Life of Puppets by T.J. Klune was my favorite book discovery of the year. I shared my thoughts on the other books I read in my 2025 Reading List. Unfortunately, reading has remained mostly a holiday activity. I wish I could immerse myself in more books throughout the year, but life always seems to get in the way.

4. Writing

   In 2025, I wrote 12 blog posts, including this one. While it’s not huge, I feel content as long as I keep writing a few times each year. It’s a fun way to look back on different phases of my life.

Purchases

5. 3D Printer

   I’ve contemplated getting a 3D printer for years, unsure whether it would be a useful tool or just an expensive toy once the novelty wore off. This year, I discovered that Prusa offers kits that you can assemble yourself. With my kids at the perfect age for this kind of project, it sounded like a fantastic opportunity—essentially, a grown-up LEGO kit. We built our first printer together, and we had an absolute blast!

6. Slim Wallet

   A few months ago, I bought myself a Bellroy Card Pocket on a whim. It’s a slim wallet designed to hold around five credit cards and some pocket change. I even replaced my old booklet-style driver’s license with a new credit card-sized version for it to fit. This has probably been one of my best purchases this year, and I absolutely love it. If only it had RFID blocking.

   

Goals

What I would like to achieve in 2026.

• Carless

  In late autumn the car mechanic told us a routine maintenance would no longer cut it; more expensive repairs would be needed. We took this as an excuse to take a last trip to Switzerland with our car and sell it. We’ll try to get by without a car in 2026. We already do most by bike and public transport, but having a car is a convenience, of course. I am really looking forward to a carless life again; my family not so. We’ll see how this goes.

• Marathon

  I hope to run a marathon with my dad next year; we’re aiming for the Bruges Marathon in October because the course is flat and close to home. Finishing a marathon with my father would be a personal highlight!

• Travel

  Plan a trip with the kids somewhere outside of Europe; they’ve been asking to visit some more exotic destinations.