I don’t usually like over-romanticizing years. Life doesn’t reset cleanly just because the calendar does. But 2025 deserves a pause.
Not because everything went perfectly — it didn’t — but because it was a year of building, reconnecting, and slowly stepping into a life that feels more aligned.
What 2025 Looked Like (From the Inside)
On paper, 2025 was full.
I built and launched Hewwi — a project rooted in health, wealth, and wisdom. Something deeply personal. Something I needed to build as much as I needed to use.
I also built and started GrowthPad — partnering with Stripe and creating a platform where founders can actually manage growth instead of guessing at it. That journey took me into rooms I once only imagined being in, including acceptance into accelerators.
There were lighter moments too.
Motorcycle rides through Lisbon and Toronto — the kind where nothing is urgent and everything feels present.
Starting the year in Mexico to reset my health and energy, when I knew I needed space more than noise.
A lot of quality time with my nephews and niece — watching them grow, laugh, and remind me what really matters.
I attended my sister’s graduation. I MC’d her wedding. Two moments I’ll never forget — not because of the spotlight, but because of what they represented: family moving forward.
There was reconnection too. Cousins I hadn’t truly spent time with in years. Conversations that picked up where life once interrupted.
And I ended the year in a way I never expected — with my mom, fulfilling her dream of watching the ball drop near Times Square.
The Moment That Stuck With Me
Standing there as the ball dropped, a few things hit me all at once.
I could’ve stayed home.
I could’ve chosen comfort.
A quiet night. A familiar couch. A predictable New Year’s.
Instead, I chose discomfort.
I chose to be in a loud, chaotic, epic environment — surrounded by people from every walk of life — sharing that moment with my mom. The same woman who brought us to New York in the first place. The city where it all started for me and my family.
And there we were.
Not surviving.
Not scraping by.
But living.
Staying in nice hotels.
Eating at great restaurants.
Having the luxury of time.
The freedom to travel.
The privilege of presence.
It wasn’t lost on me how far that arc stretched — from arrival to arrival again, this time with gratitude instead of fear.
Some moments from 2025…
My Word for 2026: Intentional
If 2025 was about building, 2026 is about choosing.
Choosing how I spend my time.
Choosing who I give my energy to.
Choosing what I say yes to — and more importantly, what I don’t.
Intentional with my health.
Intentional with my work.
Intentional with relationships.
Intentional with faith.
Intentional with money.
Intentional with where I live and why.
No more drifting into decisions.
No more accidental years.
I want fewer things — done better.
Deeper connections — not more noise.
Progress that feels aligned, not forced.
2026 isn’t about proving anything.
It’s about living deliberately.
Here’s to choosing the harder, truer path.
Here’s to building a life that actually feels like mine.
Here’s to 2026.
— Zain
Leave a comment