Welcome to my Year in Review. 👋
This is where I share the good and bad things that happened in my business (and life) during the 2025 calendar year.
I started doing this back in 2018, the year I officially became my own boss.
This year makes eight in a row!
Time flies when you’re having fun, and this year was no exception.
However, the question remains…
Was 2025 a good year?
Keep reading if you want to find out.
But first…
Why Write an Annual Review?
Here’s my reasoning:
- To acknowledge what I accomplished: Highlighting the wins helps build confidence and momentum moving forward.
- To review the goals I didn’t achieve and the mistakes along the way: This helps me identify areas for improvement and avoid repeating the same patterns.
Note: Writing these reviews takes a significant amount of time and effort. But every year, once it’s finished, I’m always glad I did.
A Look Back at My Goals for 2025:
Here are my goals for 2025 that I shared in last year’s annual review:
1. Publish 327 New Articles (On My Main Website)
Publishing written content online is becoming less dominant than it once was, largely due to the rise of video platforms and, more recently, the rapid advancement of AI.
That said, articles are still a critical part of my business. They remain a primary way for new people to discover my work, whether through search engines or content shared on social media.
For now, written content remains the foundation that everything else is built on.
My goal for the year was to publish 327 new articles to get to 1,000 total published pieces.
I published 338 new articles, exceeding my goal.
However, the total article count now sits at 860, not 1,000.
That’s because I intentionally deleted a number of older articles that were either low quality, no longer useful, not generating traffic, or all of the above.
Result: Complete ✅
While deleting content might seem counterproductive, it was a strategic decision.
Removing underperforming or unhelpful articles improved the overall quality of the site and aligned with my continued focus on building a stronger, more sustainable content foundation rather than simply inflating numbers.
2. Publish 3 New Articles (On This Website)
Another year in the books.
Another year of doing absolutely nothing with this website. 😅
At this point, it’s becoming a pattern.
Earlier, I mentioned that written content is becoming less relevant compared to video and short-form media. But that raises an important question:
Does the same apply to personal brands?
I don’t know for sure, but I suspect it does. And that uncertainty has been enough to prevent me from working on this website.
When I’m not fully convinced a platform or strategy is worth the time investment, I tend to procrastinate rather than commit half-heartedly.
Result: Fail ❌
I published a grand total of one article on this website, and you’re reading it.
It’s entirely possible (and maybe even likely) that I’m wrong. Five years from now, I might look back and wish I had invested more effort into building a personal brand through both written and video content.
Or maybe I won’t; we shall see.
3. Publish 156 New YouTube Videos
I started my educational YouTube channel back in 2018. Growth was slow for the first couple of years, but things changed dramatically in 2020 and 2021, when views, subscribers, and overall reach exploded.
During that period, YouTube became the primary focus of my business. I published a video every single day for more than 500 consecutive days, a stretch that ultimately helped me surpass one million subscribers.
Then the algorithm changed in 2022, and the platform became far less lucrative, especially for educational, faceless channels like mine.
I share all of this to provide context.
YouTube is still important to my business, but it’s no longer the centerpiece. And it hasn’t been for quite some time.
That said, it remains a meaningful distribution channel.
Last year, I launched a second YouTube channel in a similar niche. Growth has been slow so far, but it’s steady, and I expect it to continue as long as I keep publishing genuinely helpful videos.
My goal for the year was to publish two videos per week, one on my main channel and one on the new channel, for a total of 156 videos.
Unfortunately, I only published 133 videos in total.
Result: Fail ❌
This is something I mentioned last year, but it’s even more true now: YouTube is significantly more saturated than it was just a few years ago. This is especially evident with faceless channels, largely due to the rise of AI.
AI is a double-edged sword. It makes creating content faster and easier, but it also dramatically lowers the barrier to entry, increasing competition across the platform.
Going forward, my focus has to shift even further toward quality over quantity. Producing fewer, higher-quality videos is no longer optional; it’s required to stand out.
4. Create a New Income Stream
Having multiple streams of income is important because it reduces risk and increases financial stability.
Relying on a single source of income leaves you vulnerable to market changes, platform shifts, and economic downturns that are outside your control.
Multiple income streams also create flexibility and leverage.
They allow you to reinvest profits, navigate slower periods more comfortably, and make decisions based on long-term goals rather than short-term pressure.
Over time, diversification leads to more predictable cash flow and greater peace of mind, which is why I set a goal to create a new income stream this year.
Result: Complete ✅
This year, I created a new income stream through ACX, Amazon’s Audiobook Creation Exchange platform. ACX allows authors and publishers to turn written content into audiobooks that are distributed on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books.
Through my brand, I had already published 24 books in Kindle and paperback formats. In 2025, I spent time producing audiobook versions of several of those titles.
Now that they’re live and available for purchase, audiobooks represent a new income stream that should continue generating revenue for months and years to come.
5. Read at Least 35 New Books
Here is a list of every book I read (or listened to) this year:
🔥 = Highly Recommend
- The Greatness Guide [Audiobook]
- Caffeine [Audiobook]
- Competing in the Age of AI [Audiobook]
- The Carpenter [Audiobook] 🔥
- If This Isn’t Nice, What Is? [Audiobook]
- The No Complaining Rule [Audiobook]
- The Let Them Theory [Audiobook]
- Chill and Prosper [Audiobook]
- One Word That Will Change Your Life [Audiobook]
- Master Your Time, Master Your Life [Audiobook]
- Stillness is the Key [Audiobook]
- Love + Work [Audiobook]
- The Algebra of Happiness [Audiobook]
- What Got You Here Won’t Get You There [Audiobook]
- Freedom Fortress [Audiobook]
- Zero World Problems [Audiobook]
- Relentless Solution Focus [Audiobook]
- Sell! [Audiobook]
- The Hard Hat [Audiobook] 🔥
- Dividend Investing Made Easy [Audiobook]
- Make Money Easy [Audiobook]
- Embrace Discomfort [Audiobook]
- Vagabonding [Audiobook] 🔥
- Millionaire Mission [Audiobook]
- 48 Laws of Hustling [Audiobook]
- Broken Money [Audiobook] 🔥
- How to Retire on Dividends [Audiobook]
- Wild at Heart [Audiobook]
- The Art of Extraordinary Confidence [Audiobook] 🔥
- Money. Wealth. Life Insurance. [Audiobook]
- Find Work-Life Balance [Audiobook]
- Psych Up [Audiobook]
- Mastering Self-Discipline [Audiobook]
- The Mindset Shift [Audiobook]
- Unstuck [Audiobook]
Result: Complete ✅
I listened to exactly 35 new books this year on Audible, which allowed me to hit this goal right on the mark.
Notably, this was the first time in over a decade that I didn’t read a single physical book, a clear reflection of how my learning habits continue to shift toward convenience and efficiency.
6. Travel to Two New Countries
This year, I traveled to:
- Mexico
- Singapore
- Bali, Indonesia
- Thailand
Result: Complete ✅
Traveling to new places allows me to experience different cultures, try incredible food, and see the world from new perspectives.
This year, I visited Southeast Asia for the first time, including 3 countries that were on my bucket list: Bali (Indonesia), Singapore, and Thailand.
Exploration does more than just create memories. It helps reset my perspective, fuels creativity, and often leads to clearer thinking when I return to work.
The only bad thing about visiting Southeast Asia was returning home. If I had to describe the culture in one word, it would be “different,” but in the best way possible.
Where should I go in 2026?
7. Travel to 4 New Cities in the United States
Here are the cities I traveled to this year:
Bold = New
- Breckenridge, CO
- Houston, TX
- Las Vegas, NV
- San Diego, CA
- Dallas, TX
- Augusta, GA
- Oxford, MS
- Tunica, MS
- Memphis, TN
- Fort Morgan, AL
- Nashville, TN
- Lexington, KY
- Norman, OK
Result: Complete ✅
I took trips to 13 different cities this year. Four of them were new, so I was able to accomplish this goal.
Which new cities should I visit next year?
8. Attend Two Business Conferences
Attending business conferences isn’t just about learning. It’s also about getting out of my comfort zone, meeting other like-minded entrepreneurs, and stepping away from my usual routine.
There’s also the added bonus of traveling and experiencing a new city or state in the process.
This year, I attended the following conferences:
- Social Media Marketing World (San Diego, CA)
- Bitcoin Conference (Las Vegas, NV)
Result: Complete ✅
Each event offered a different perspective and sparked new ideas, conversations, and connections that I wouldn’t have made otherwise.
Which conferences should I attend in 2026?
9. Complete at Least 500 Workouts
If you’re like me and not great at math, you can still quickly see that 500 is greater than 365.
That means accomplishing this goal required doing two or more workouts on many days throughout the year.
I completed a total of 597 workouts, comfortably exceeding my goal.
This wasn’t difficult thanks to my standing desk and walking pad, which allow me to walk around 6 miles every weekday morning while getting work done on my laptop.
For a session to count as a “workout,” it must include at least 45 consecutive minutes of intentional physical activity. And yes, walking absolutely counts.
Result: Complete ✅
My current routine consists of walking while working every weekday morning, followed by weight training in the gym in the afternoon, seven days a week.
I don’t particularly enjoy taking days off, and this structure makes staying consistent easy and sustainable for me.
10. Take Profits
To “take profits” means intentionally selling or withdrawing a portion of gains from an investment after it has increased in value, rather than letting all of the profits remain invested.
Doing this helps reduce exposure, protect capital, and prevent gains from disappearing during market downturns.
Many investors struggle with this because of greed or fear of missing out, but consistently taking profits can lead to more sustainable long-term growth (and, importantly, peace of mind).
In this case, I’m referring specifically to crypto.
The crypto market was anything but boring this year. Bitcoin experienced significant volatility, reaching an all-time high of around $126,000 before falling back to roughly $87,000 at the time of this writing.
I did what I set out to do: I sold portions of my holdings after prices increased and successfully took profits in 2025.
However…
Result: Fail ❌
I’m still marking this goal as a failure.
While I executed the initial step correctly, my follow-up decisions didn’t go as planned. I reinvested most of the profits into other positions, some of which carried even higher risk.
Unfortunately, many of those investments declined throughout the year due to a mix of micro- and macroeconomic factors. This is a good reminder that crypto investing is not for the faint of heart.
I still feel confident about the sector over the long term, but the short-term outlook remains challenging, especially for positions taken later in the cycle.
11. Purchase a Short-Term Rental
A short-term rental is a property rented out for brief stays, typically seven days or less, through platforms like Airbnb.
Owning a short-term rental can offer higher income potential and greater flexibility than a traditional long-term rental, along with major tax advantages such as depreciation.
It also provides the opportunity to benefit from both short-term cash flow and long-term property appreciation.
Result: Fail ❌
My goal was to purchase a property and list it as a short-term rental, but I didn’t make it happen this year.
Hopefully, I can in 2026.
12. Check at Least 10 Things Off My Bucket List
I know it sounds cliché, but I started a bucket list a few years ago to stay focused on meaningful experiences and long-term goals, not just work-related milestones.
This year, I was able to check off the following:
- Travel to Asia
- Visit Singapore
- Visit Indonesia
- Visit Bali
- Visit Thailand
- Visit Kentucky
- Visit Oklahoma
- Visit San Diego, CA
- Eat Pad Thai in Thailand
- Eat a floating breakfast in Bali
- Try Luwak coffee
- Stay at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel
- Attend the Masters golf tournament
- Watch Ole Miss play at Kentucky
- Watch Ole Miss play at Oklahoma
Result: Complete ✅
In total, I checked 15 items off my bucket list, comfortably exceeding my goal for the year.
My Goals for 2026:
Here are my goals for the coming year:
- Publish 300 new articles (on my main website)
- Publish 156 new YouTube videos (both channels)
- Publish a new book
- Create a new income stream
- Read at least 35 new books
- Travel to 2 new countries
- Travel to 4 new cities in the United States
- Attend 2 business conferences
- Complete at least 500 workouts
- Purchase a short-term rental
- Check at least 10 things off my bucket list
I like sharing my goals publicly because it holds me accountable and significantly increases my chances of following through.
On the first day of each month, I review my progress to keep my goals top of mind.
This consistent check-in helps me stay focused, motivated, and on track to accomplish what I set out to achieve by year’s end.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for spending a few moments of your valuable time reading my 2025 Year in Review.
I hope something I shared helped you reflect on your own goals, progress, or direction, even if only in a small way.
Every year, this exercise reminds me that progress isn’t always linear. Some goals are accomplished, others fall short, but each one offers a lesson that shapes what comes next.
And that’s all part of the journey.
As I look ahead, my focus remains on building sustainably, staying adaptable, and continuing to learn, both personally and professionally.
If you’re reading this, I appreciate your support more than you know. Here’s to setting clear goals, staying disciplined, and making the most of the year ahead.
Cheers to 2026.
Written by:
Brant Reader
Brant Reader is a serial entrepreneur who runs a portfolio of websites and grew a YouTube channel to more than one million subscribers. He is passionate about health, fitness, investing, traveling, and helping others do the same.