I didn’t plan to make my life harder in 2025.
But looking back, this was the year that removed every safety net, and forced me to lead anyway.

In one year:

• I became a single working mom.

• I changed jobs.

• I moved countries.

• I moved countries alone with my one-year-old daughter (now two)

• I am changing companies

Any one of these would be life-altering on its own.
All of them happened in the same year.

I’ve been journaling for over 25 years. Year-end reflections have always been something I do privately. But this is the very first time I am writing it publicly. It is new, and intentional.

This year, I decided to voice more. 

You’ve probably seen me being quite active and “loud” on LinkedIn. I also spent many late nights quietly building my personal website (myrama.me) Yes, I’ve learnt that silence doesn’t equal strength, humility doesn’t guarantee recognition, and competence does not automatically translate into influence. 

It forced me to confront something many women in leadership quietly live with: the belief that competence should speak for itself. In tech especially, women are often rewarded for being reliable, polished, and low-maintenance, not necessarily visible. For a long time, I chose to process challenges privately and let outcomes do the talking. 

Leadership requires voice. Not noise, not self-promotion, but the courage to articulate perspective, claim space, and make thinking visible. Voicing more isn’t a personality shift for me; it’s a leadership decision.

This year, I experienced culture shock, unexpectedly.

Ironically, as someone Chinese by origin, moving to Singapore brought a strong sense of reverse culture shock. The assumptions I thought I understood about “Asian culture,” work, motherhood, and pace were quietly dismantled. I’ve written about some of this before, but I’m still unpacking what it means for my identity.

This year, I experienced more motivation than exhaustion.

I went through more changes than ever before, yet I’ve never felt this energized, this accomplished, or this hungry to do more. In New Zealand, life felt spacious. I had time for Netflix. I maintained multiple hobbies (golf, badminton, dancing, ski, scuba diving etc) all consistently over many years. In Singapore, I barely have time for a movie. I cut sports down to once a week. My calendar feels constantly full.

And yet, I feel more alive.

I’ve realized something about myself:
Busyness doesn’t drain me. Stagnation does.

Going forward…

As I step into the new year, my focus is simple:

First, Build with intention. 

It’s not an option. It’s a must. As a single mom while having a demanding job in the tech industry, I do not see another way out rather than being absolutely ruthless of my time management.

Second, Speak with clarity.

I’ve been quietly building SheSays, an interview series focused on Women empowerment, leadership, and voice. I’m grateful to be doing this alongside an exceptional partner and co-host, Tian Yuan. SheSays is where she leads, she inspires, and she thrives! This isn’t a side project. It’s a continuation of the same leadership decision: to stop striking perspective and start sharing it deliberately.

And finally, Accelerate with purpose!

Not speed for the sake of speed, but momentum built on clarity, conviction, and voice. 

2025 stripped things back.

The years ahead are about building forward, visibly, intentionally, and without negotiating with myself about taking up space.