A Quiet Promise to Myself for 2026

For 2026, I find myself thinking less about resolutions and more about direction. Not what I want to achieve but who I want to be while I'm achieving it.

The older I get, the clearer it becomes:

Success without peace is empty. Achievement without alignment is exhausting. And ambition without joy is not the life I want.

 

So here's my mantra for 2026, not as a list of goals, but as how I want to show up in 2026.

Wake up early. Drink coffee.

Not because productivity culture demands it, but because there is something grounding about starting the day with intention, in quiet, before the world asks anything of me.

Work hard. Be ambitious.

I still care deeply about building meaningful work. I'm not done growing.

There are still opportunities to do more as I head into midlife; not from a place of proving myself, but from building, creating, and contributing in ways that feel deeply aligned with who I am now, not who I used to be.

Keep your priorities straight, your mind right, and your head up.

Because life will always throw curveballs, but how I respond, that's my responsibility.

Protect your peace. Honour your energy. Choose calm as much as you choose success.

I do not want to glorify burnout and confuse exhaustion with importance. I want a life that feels steady, spacious, and kind to myself.

Don't ever give up.

But know the difference between giving up on yourself and giving up on what no longer serves you.

Some days, persistence looks like pushing forward. Other days, it looks like resting. Or changing direction. Or choosing something kinder for your body, your mind, your life.

Do well, live well, and dress really well.

Because how I show up matters. Not just in meetings and milestones, but in the quiet moments too. Self-respect is a daily practice.

Do what you love. Love what you do.

This used to sound idealistic to me. Now I see it as essential.

Photo taken at The Coffee Department, Level 4, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

2026, I'm ready.

Happy New Year.

Blessed Christmas & Happy New Year 2026!

From Our Family to You

🤍 Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year 🤍

Wishing you a season filled with simple joys, gentle moments, and all the warmth of home.

From our family to yours.

From All of Us at Fishermen Analytics

We don't do conventional, not even for Christmas.

This year has been about movement, momentum, and navigating new waters together.

We're deeply grateful to our clients and partners who continue to challenge the norm with us, embrace bold ideas, and trust the journey.

Here's to closing 2025 with gratitude and stepping into 2026 with fresh energy, sharper strategies, and bigger ambitions.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Fishermen Analytics.

Things That Stayed With Me in 2025

When I take a look back at 2025, it was indeed a year made up of both extraordinary and ordinary things. There were inspirations, conversations, decisions, and pauses that stayed.

They may not be highlights. They were not incredible milestones.

But they are things that lingered and became part of how the year felt.

1. Reflections on Resilience: Inspired by Ejae's Journey

Source: Threads

Have you heard of Ejae's story? 12 years of training, multiple near-misses, and the heartbreak of not debuting in a K-pop group; all before finally releasing Golden. What resonated with me most wasn't her eventual success, but her profound resilience during the wait.

She stayed in the music industry despite the heartbreaking experience of not debuting after 12 years of hard work. Before the eventual success of Golden and Huntrix, she refused to give up; instead, she sharpened her production skills, wrote tirelessly, and strategically leaned into her strengths. Ejae's journey is proof that talent and grit eventually shine and her current impact is only the beginning.

There is something deeply human about that kind of patience. You can feel the vindication and triumph in every record Golden has broken across the globe.

I'm letting her story sit with me as a form of quiet motivation.

2. Rose's "You've Got You"

Source: Facebook

Rosé's MTV VMAs Award acceptance speech crossed my feed at some point, and one line stuck: "you've got you." It wasn't delivered dramatically. It didn't feel rehearsed.

That sentence surfaced quietly throughout the year, especially during moments when decisions felt personal rather than strategic. It wasn't about hype or confidence. It was about self-trust, in a very understated way.

3. Leaving Corporate, Returning to Digital Agency Life

This year, I resigned from corporate and went back into digital agency life while continuing my Master's.

It wasn't a bold leap or a dramatic exit. It felt more like choosing an environment that fit who I am now: how I think, how I work, how I show up. There was relief in that, and also a sense of familiarity. Like returning to a room I already knew how to breathe in.

4. Continuing my Master's Quietly

I didn't talk much about my Master's this year. I just kept showing up. I met up with my lecturers to thank them for their continuous support.

Reading, writing, submitting. Sometimes tired, sometimes motivated, sometimes simply consistent. It wasn't hustle. It wasn't grind. It was something I carried alongside everything else, without needing it to define me.

I guess I did the right thing, as I was recognised as the most active student representative for my intake (March 2024) in Sunway University's MMKT ODL programme.

5. Making a Personal Choice for Myself

I signed up for the Curas Hybrid Laser treatment at Pure Touch Clinic this year. Not as a statement, not as a transformation story, just as a choice.

It felt less about appearance and more about the decision to listen to my body. Deciding without overexplaining. There was something quietly affirming about that.

6. Travelling My Heart Out

I travelled a fair bit this year, so if there's a recurring theme from 2025, it's me travelling with people who matter. And here's the list:

Anniversary trip to South Korea & Macau with my husband.

Trip to Taipei with my sister.

Work trips (Jakarta and Guangzhou) that blended into shared routines.

Family trips (Club Med Phuket, Ipoh, Kuantan & Pulau Kapas, Muar & Melaka, Legoland Malaysia) that moved at a gentler pace.

The places were different, but the presence mattered more than the destination. Travel became less about seeing and more about being with.

And instead of overplanning, the snippets that I could remember go like this:

By a pool. In a lounge. At a hotel bar. In a mini mart aisle. Eating noodles. Drinking coffee. Holding a cocktail. Watching the sky change. Doing nothing.

I wasn't planning of capturing scroll-stopping content angles. I was collecting moments that didn't ask for performance.

That pattern of sitting, eating, drinking, noticing... felt totally ME. Unforced. Enough.

7. The Tone of the Year

If I had to describe 2025, it would be:  Not empty. Not dull. Just… unhurried.

 

The year didn't push me forward aggressively. It allowed me to settle into myself a little more.

And that, strangely, felt like plenty.

I don't know yet what 2026 will bring. I'm not setting intentions or naming themes.

For now, I'm just carrying these things with me, the ones that stayed.

And I'm okay with that.

8. Mantra for 2026

Wake up early. Drink coffee.

Work hard. Be ambitious.

Keep your priorities straight, your mind right, and your head up.

Don't ever give up.

Do well, live well, and dress really well.

Do what you love, love what you do.

It is time to start living.

Happy New Year!

P.S.: Check out my compilation of annual posts since 2007.

Why I Stopped Feeling Guilty for Being a Manager, Not a Leader

Well, the theme of this blog post is definitely a not-so-popular opinion. But it's one that feels true for me.

As I settle into my mid-40s, "adulting" has taken on new dimensions, especially in how I see myself at work. Over time, I've felt a quiet tension between the roles I hold and the expectations placed on me by LinkedIn.

The Leadership Ideal

In many workplaces, "leadership" is held up as the gold standard. A true "leader" should not just manage tasks, but he/she should be inspiring, mentoring, being a model, stirring morale.

In fact, the internet is full of thought pieces, TED talks, and motivational quotes telling us to "be inspiring," "mentor the next generation," "lead with vision." You know the drill.

In a world that celebrates charisma, emotional coaching, and grand vision, it's easy to feel guilt if you don't or can't fit that mould. Don't you agree?

I believe most of us are conditioned to believe that being a leader is the ultimate goal, while being a manager is somehow less.

The infamous Simon Sinek often says: "A boss has the title, a leader has the people." Leadership, he explains, is about mentoring those in your charge so that they buy into you and your vision.

I respect that. But I also can't help but wonder:

Am I failing because I don't "lead" like the books say?

When You Don't Fit the "Leader" Mould

An uncomfortable question keeps surfacing:

What if my personality simply doesn't fit the ideal "leader" mould?

Honestly, I'm not the person who rallies the room with grand speeches or spends hours crafting motivational one-liners.

What if I just want to be a manager?

What if I just want to be steady, task-oriented, and clear, without all the stage lights and inspirational pep talks?

That's me: I focus on clarity, structure, and delivery; I make sure things get done.

And sometimes, yes, I feel guilty for not being more.

What I've Learned About Authenticity

But here's the truth I've come to accept (or at least am working toward):

I don't need to force myself to become the kind of leader social media glorifies.

And that doesn't make me less.

Being a manager is not a demotion. It's not "less than."

It doesn't mean I lack care or vision. It just means I express them differently.

Instead of pep talks, I offer honesty.

Instead of sugarcoating, I give clarity.

Instead of trying to be everyone's favourite "leader," I aim to be fair, dependable, and real.

For some, that might come across as harsh.

For me, it's a sustainable way to operate without burning out.

Integrity Over Image

I don't have to fake a "leader persona" that drains me or feels disingenuous.

What I can strive for is integrity in the role I do play: Consistent, fair, transparent, focused.

I do care about people's work, respect their efforts, and align outcomes with purpose, without pretending to be someone I'm not.

Gratitude and Clarity

I'm grateful for the colleagues, friends, and mentors who see the value in honesty, even when it's uncomfortable.

I'm grateful for those who don't expect me to wear a mask of endless positivity.

This acceptance has lifted a weight off my shoulders.

I don't have to chase an image of leadership that doesn't suit me.

I just need to show up authentically as a manager, a collaborator, and yes, as an adult still figuring things out in midlife.

Authenticity Over Expectation

So yes, some may whisper that I should lead, inspire, and motivate in conventional ways.

But I choose authenticity over expectation.

I don't need to be the leader everyone raves about.

I'll manage in my way. I'll show up as myself.

And if that means I'm not everyone's "favourite leader"...

I'm perfectly okay with that.