Cost of living continues to outpace wages so money's still much tighter than it should be. I'm working to make my (future) 40's much better than my (current) 30's. I also said that about my 30's though so we'll see if I'm any more successful this time around.

Been having the time of my life, other than some spots of loneliness here and there up until about 5 months ago. Recently things have turned due to paranoia and other difficult things. In April, I felt like I couldn't even leave my house, but then a semi miracle happened. But again I get paranoid that things just can't play out like I want them to. I still strive to make it the best that it can be, but I feel held back.

Using the same format as OP


2012 – 7/10
I was only a poor 15 year old boy and this was my final year of high school, but I was surprisingly happy, even though I experienced burnout from studying for college entrance exams. I was the strange nerd kid, with some few friends, but that never quite felt "right" (many year later it becomes quite clear I'm neurodivergent)

2014 – 8/10
Started college (IT), family was so proud I was accepted in a public university (here public universities are the hardest to get into, and are completely free). For the first time, I felt like I belonged somewhere. Not many memories here, very few major points

2015 – 8/10
Still extremely poor, but hopeful. My life felt like it was progressing. I had friends and genuinely enjoyed college

2016 – 8/10
Got my first source of income: 400 BRL from a research scholarship. It wasn't much, but I loved doing research and felt happy that life was (slowly) moving forward

2017 – 7/10
Got my first part-time job. It wasn't exactly what I wanted (a small family-run IT company). Coming from a prestigious college, I had bigger dreams. But the pay was decent, and the working hours didn't interfere with my bachelor's degree

2018 – 5/10
The first big blow: I couldn't graduate on time. Around then, Master's scholarships were being cut. I decided to keep the part-time job, but for the first time, I felt like I wasn't progressing. Between work, college, and research, I burned out, fainted on a bus, and broke a leg. My professor removed me from his research team, saying I needed to rest (he was right, but it still made me sad)

2019 – 5/10
Graduated college but lacked the strength to pursue a Master's. Took a full-time job that paid like shit. My eating and exercise habits felt off a cliff. Toward the end of the year, body dysmorphia hit hard, and I developed severe anorexia

2020 – 3/10
Lost contact with friends during the pandemic. Moved in with my grandfather after my grandma passed, so he wouldn't be alone. Still struggling to accept my sexuality. Got a new job with insane working hours (60+ hours/week) and still terrible pay. My weight dropped to 55 kg (I'm 186 cm tall), and my health completely collapsed

2021 – 4/10
Started eating better again, but the pressure of that insane job was crushing me. Began having dark (even suicidal) thoughts. Diagnosed with dysthymia. Made the decision to change my life and accept myself as I am

2022 – 6/10
Landed a much better job and managed to buy a car. Started a Master's degree. During my travels, I decided to move to São Paulo for a fresh start. Met my current boyfriend on one of those trips. Came out to my parents, they accepted me!

2023 – 7/10
Focused on self-care, especially mental health. My career was going well and even got a promotion, and my Master's progressed as expected. A quiet but positive year. Started saving money to move

2024 – 9/10
Moved to São Paulo at the start of the year. Probably the best year of my life since my teenage years. I live in a great neighborhood, and life as a couple has been an amazing surprise, having someone to share dreams and hobbies with is truly special. Started lifiting weights and getting some muscles, overall took care of my appereance.

2025 – 7/10
Some personal issues came up with my boyfriend, which affected our life a bit, but I'm hopeful things will improve soon. Life is good, my salary is good, and the future feels bright.

I was in a bad state for most of last decade but it's been good since late 2020. My 30's should be rockier due to stuff like my parents aging but as long as nothing catastrophic happens I should remain in at least a fine place overall. While it had a bad start my 20's have easily been the best time of my life so far which looking back feels wild since a decade ago I wasn't even sure I'd live this long.

Little nervous on my day-to-day life right now. Made some investments on some crypto swaps several weeks ago that I'm hoping will pay off in the way that it should, but playing the waiting game sucks lol. My daughter will be 4 years old soon, and she's the biggest reason I keep grinding every day! Exhausted at the end of work, but hearing "daddy's home!!!" then having her run into my arms always breathes new life into me. Of course it can still be VERY exhausting. She's still incredibly young and is at the age where she's starting to wonder why she has to listen to her parents lol, and she's on the autism spectrum. On the lowest tier, but the times where she suddenly changes, that can be exhausting. At least the tantrums are dramatically going down the older she gets. It's amazing though that once you become a parent, you don't really think so much for yourself anymore as you do think about your children.

Other than that, wife and I are in a healthy marriage, and we just got a puppy a couple weeks ago, which the training is going surprisingly great! So someone that our daughter can grow up with. Hell, we know how much she already loves him because just a couple of nights ago, she was hiding that there were a couple of bite marks when she was playing with him because she didn't want him to get in trouble lol.

Gaming wise, great way to start the year as I built a new PC. God that felt soooooooo good doing again after all these years! Once the puppy training is done, looking forward to getting back into a fairly regular gaming schedule. Got a lot of great games to look forward to! Overall, things are good for me.

Need surgery on my heart. Not open heart surgery. Overnight thing but still. Not feeling great about that.

Stressful with months of constant anxiety and depression. I push through regardless. Tis all good.

Pretty good, been happily married for 15 years, my son is now 4 and year by year things are getting easier in terms of getting my life "back" which means having a bit more time for myself and even playing games a bit. Watching that mini me growing up has been the best feeling in my life, I just wish I could go back in time and not wait so muhc to have the first one, as now there is no time for a second anymore. Me and my wife have good wages, our own house and I like my job.
What could improve? my health as I gained a lot of weight in the past 4 years, but I am already working on it.

Go back like 4-5years.....
I lost my brother, he had demons he fought with, and gave up his fight.
My Father passed due to cancer, the year after.
Then some time goes by and my Mom accidentally started a house fire, a gas heater caught on fire, and she couldn't do anything to put it out.
(renovating the house... afterwards...)

Recently? nothing much has happend.... and thats good news imo.
I don't want or need this much excitement in my life.
Currently its probably just barely in the "Its okay" vote.
Get up, go to work, come home, read a book or watch some tv... repeat.

Meh.

The more I earn, the more I want to spend, and the more Uncle Sam snatches. NYC really is a hustler’s playground. Now I wonder how life is off the grid.