Among all popular rituals, setting New Year’s goals is certainly one of my favorites and most enjoyable. As my imagination is a very active part of me, and envisioning future possibilities is a hobby of mine, writing down targets truly excites me and energizes my soul. Hence, I’ve set a few goals for 2025, considering both my experiences from the past year and the context ahead. It could be a year of significant changes: I’m graduating and starting my professional life, with some past questions about my path, such as whether to return to medical school or enter a master’s program. I may move to another city or even try new things abroad. The possibilities are vast, even within the scope of my reality. It may be easier to understand all of my expectations and challenges as we dive into my goal list for the year.

As I push myself to write this in a foreign language, let’s start with my language-learning goals. I aim to maintain a continuous Duolingo streak (currently practicing Spanish, Mandarin, and English), complete a C1 English course from the British Council, reach C1 proficiency in Spanish, and learn basic Mandarin. Although technology is guiding us toward a world where real-time translation will become widespread and efficient, I still enjoy the experience of learning new languages and interacting with their speakers.

In honor of the book-loving child I once was, I plan to dedicate time to reading and writing, hoping this will provide an opportunity for growth and help keep my mind sharp. For the entire year, I aim to read around 25 books. While I don’t have a strict reading list, I do have a few guidelines: prioritize technical books, classic literature, and books focused on self-knowledge. Additionally, for writing, I have this blog, use Obsidian to track my studies, and keep my cherished diary. The goal is to maintain these practices as consistently as possible.

Mindfulness and yoga will complement this set of objectives for mental well-being. I’m challenging myself to implement these practices weekly to become a more balanced version of myself. While I’ve tried both for several years, I’ve never truly made them a habit or learned from them.

In terms of physical health, my goal is to become athletic for the first time in my life—not for appearance, but for long-term health and self-satisfaction. I began this journey last year, and running has been a great discovery for me. However, I can’t say the same for the gym—I struggle with maintaining consistent attendance. Therefore, this year, I intend to go to the gym 200 times, run 1000 km over the year, reduce my body fat to under 15%, and increase my muscle mass to over 40%.

To create a well-rounded approach combining mindfulness and exercise, maintaining a healthy diet is essential on this new journey. I hope not only to eat healthily but also to learn about food—its chemistry, biology, and cultural significance. I also have a few bad habits to eliminate. Regarding eating, I’m challenging myself to have less or no sugar, limit coffee to small portions in the morning, avoid processed foods, and stick to a planned, intentional diet.

As mentioned earlier, I’m in my last semester of my Computer Science degree, with just a few courses and my thesis remaining before graduation. It’s been a rewarding journey, and I want to end it on a high note. To do so, I’ve set the goal of publishing my thesis and achieving the highest grade in the thesis course. After graduation, I may pursue an academic career—I’ve been accepted into the master’s program at the University of São Paulo, and I’m also applying to UNICAMP and, with some effort, to universities in the USA. If I don’t follow an academic path, I’ll focus on securing a job and growing professionally, learning and adding value to the company while also absorbing as much as I can.

For personal development, I want to improve my communication skills and enhance my self-organization. These are likely my biggest areas for improvement, so I’m committed to addressing them. Additionally, I have other personal projects, including improving my website, writing more often on my blog, building a portfolio, and developing projects for it.

In terms of finances, my objective is to create an emergency fund (covering six months of expenses) and establish a solid, structured financial organization. This will likely happen later in the year, as I’m still an intern with a modest income. Until then, I plan to learn as much as I can about personal finance, investing, and financial management.

Regarding my family, I deeply desire to get closer to them, visit more often, track my sister’s first year of high school, and possibly organize a family trip. These are essential goals for me, and I will invest extra energy into them, as maintaining a close relationship with my family is a priority, and I want to bridge the geographical distance with my best efforts.

While it’s not my intention to make this longer, I do have some other goals that will be listed below, along with the ones already mentioned. Some of these will remain private, as this represents the limit of the transparency I’m comfortable with.

List of 2025 Goals

  • Duolingo every day
  • Take British Council course
  • Improve my Spanish
  • Take an English fluency exam (C1)
  • Learn basic Mandarin
  • Have less or no sugar
  • Limit coffee (just mornings)
  • Avoid processed foods
  • Keep a planned diet
  • Read 25 books
  • Prioritize reading textbooks
  • Read world classics
  • Go to the gym 200 times during the year
  • Run 1000 km during the year
  • Reach < 15% body fat and > 40% muscle mass
  • Practice mindfulness
  • Complete 24 sessions of yoga
  • Publish my thesis
  • Get a 10 on my thesis
  • Submit to UNICAMP
  • Work on USP master’s program
  • Submit to USA universities
  • Get hired
  • Evolve at work
  • Practice communication (read books)
  • Improve self-organization
  • Create an emergency fund (6 months of expenses)
  • Track my finances
  • Improve my website
  • Write for my blog
  • Create a portfolio
  • Build projects
  • Keep my diary
  • Get closer to my mom, dad, and siblings
  • Visit my family more
  • Help my sister with high school
  • Take a family trip
  • Visit 12 new places
  • Try new cafes
  • Visit MASP (São Paulo Museum of Art)
  • Go to the beach
  • Wake up early every day
  • Maintain proper schedules
  • Set daily tasks
  • Set weekly tasks
  • Set monthly tasks
  • Reduce the use of social media
  • Become a ML and DS specialist
  • Volunteer for a project
  • Donate blood 3 times during the year
  • Continue adopting minimalism
  • Maybe move to São Paulo
  • Contribute to open source
  • Run for SBC’s Best Student Award
  • Return to studying and playing chess
  • Take one course per month