We’re well into 2026 already.
And if I’m being honest, in terms of productivity, it still feels like the same old story.
There was something at the start of the year.
A work opportunity back in January that had potential. Something that could’ve gone somewhere.
I decided against it.
Pulled the plug early. Stepped away before it turned into something heavier than it needed to be.
Not because it was bad.
But because it came with noise I didn’t want to deal with.
Misalignment.
Unnecessary friction.
The kind of energy that doesn’t look like a problem at first-but you can already tell where it’s heading.
And I’ve learned this the hard way before: not every bridge needs to be crossed.
Some, you just leave alone.
Not burned. Not destroyed.
Just… not taken.
That said, it’s not like nothing happened.
There were a few things at the start of the year that-on paper at least—looked like the kind of momentum I was supposed to build on.
I spoke at a WordPress Campus Connect in Cebu.
Showed up for a freelancer event that, quite ironically, was all about getting your year off to a strong start.
Both were good experiences.
The kind that remind me that I can do this. That I’ve done this before.
But at the same time, they felt a bit… isolated.
Moments that made sense on their own.
But didn’t really connect into something bigger afterwards.
Almost like flashes of direction-without the follow-through to turn them into anything sustained.
We write March 8, 2026.
Eight flights in.
No international trips yet-those are still somewhere down the line-but movement has definitely been there.
On top of that, a couple of new purchases here and there.
And an actual effort to get back into running. More consistently this time.
So far, that part’s holding up.
There were plans for this year. Proper ones.
Things I intended to start. Things I said I would take seriously.
And, as usual, a number of flights already lined up alongside all of that.
From the outside, it probably looks like I’m on a decent run.
And maybe, in some sense, I am.
But if I’m being precise about it-
That’s only part of the picture.
By the end of March, that number climbed to twenty flights. Fourteen in a single month.
On paper, that looks good.
Busy. Active. Productive, even.
The kind of start to a year that-if you just glance at it-feels like momentum.
But that’s only if you stop at the numbers.
Because the reality behind it is a lot quieter than that.
And honestly, a lot less impressive.
After stepping away, I filled the space the easiest way I knew how.
I flew.
Cebu. Iloilo. Puerto Princesa. Manila. Then back again. And again.
I spent more time in airports than in any environment where actual work gets done.
I optimized routes.
Watched seat maps.
Timed upgrades.
Tried out Philippine Airlines’ A350-1000 business class on a short Manila–Cebu run-which, to be fair, I genuinely enjoyed.
Met Josh Cahill. Someone I’ve followed for years.
There were good moments. No question.
Moments that, on their own, felt like wins.
But stacked together, they start telling a different story.
Because if I strip it down properly-
A lot of that movement wasn’t driven by purpose.
It was driven by avoidance.
Flying gave structure.
It gave me something to anticipate.
It created the illusion of progress.
As long as there was a next flight, there was always something “going on.”
Even if nothing meaningful was actually being built underneath it.
At the same time, there was another layer to it.
A quieter one. But very much present.
Thirty flights.
Maintaining Elite status with Philippine Airlines.
Maybe even pushing for Premiere Elite if fifty somehow became realistic.
And just like that, the trips started to justify themselves.
Not because they needed to happen.
But because they counted.
It’s very easy to confuse movement with progress when there’s a system keeping score.
Meanwhile, the thing that actually matters hasn’t even started.
The talks.
The outreach.
That version of me that goes into schools, companies, events-and actually speaks.
Not polished theory.
Not recycled content.
But real experience.
Building from nothing. Navigating uncertainty. Figuring things out without pretending to have everything figured out.
I’ve thought about it enough times.
I know exactly what needs to happen:
Refine the profile.
Build presence.
Start conversations.
Submit. Ask. Show up.
None of this is unclear.
But knowing hasn’t translated into doing.
Not yet.
And if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t make it easier for myself either.
New devices.
New purchases.
A Pixel 10 Pro XL.
A Galaxy S25 Ultra.
An Apple Watch.
None of them necessary.
All of them very easy to justify in the moment.
Each one adding just a bit more noise-when what I actually needed was clarity.
There’s a pattern there.
Not a great one.
But also not one I can ignore anymore.
So here we are.
A quarter into the year.
Twenty flights in.
Constant movement.
Constant activity.
But not real progress. Not where it actually counts.
And maybe that’s all this is.
Not a lesson.
Not a breakthrough.
Not some forced conclusion to make it all sound neat.
Just… calling it what it is.
Because at the very least, being this clear about it creates a chance to adjust.
The flights will continue.
Cebu and Hanoi in July.
Iloilo in August.
Ho Chi Minh in November.
And probably Japan squeezed in somewhere in between.
The numbers will sort themselves out.
They always do.
But the actual work?
That’s not up there.
It’s here.
And it’s still waiting to begin.
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