My Predictions for 2026

← Snippets

While writing this list, the writer has made a bold assumption that he will live through the year of 2026, and that unforeseen mortal circumstances will not befall him. In case they do, he can be excused for not living up to his prophecies. Otherwise, albeit begrudgingly, the writer has agreed to be held liable for his inability to keep his promises.

The reader is allowed to wager an accountability bet on any of the listed prophecies and can go ham on what the writer owes in the event that he loses. This could be anything between owing you 20 pushups that are either recorded on camera or done in person (even in random public spaces1) or actual money. The details of the contract must be stipulated at the beginning of the year, ideally within the first month. In an attempt to make it easier for the reader to call him out on his bullshit, the writer has strived to avoid ambiguity regarding the conditions for fulfillment of prophecies wherever possible by sharing concrete examples.

In the year of 2026, I will:

  • turn 25 in the month of January
  • host/co-host at least 3 house parties and/or dinners
  • perform at least one Strudel set at said house parties or create a small library of game instrumentals
  • learn how to cook at least 3 of the following dishes:
    • dosa with peanut chutney,
    • menthi kura pappu,
    • omelettes, and
    • runny eggs
  • attempt to finish a 10k faster than my dad. Okay, who am I kidding? My last attempt was in Feb ‘25. His time was 42 minutes, and I finished in 59. I’m going to try to finish within 10 min of my dad (seems doable with a bit of prep).
  • complete SICP. My last run was in ‘24. I was halfway through the second chapter before I lost steam. Earlier than me, my friend Ajinkya had also attempted a run and stopped in the same vicinity. A couple of weeks ago, we agreed to buddy up for our second run. This time, in the hopes that we will emerge victorious together as completionists. Hit us up if you’d like to join! To monitor our progress, here are my and Ajinkya’s repos.
  • attend at least 2 concerts, to match my personal record set this year (granted, it’s my first attempt). In October, I went to Boiler Room HYD and an Afrobeats concert the night before at the same venue.
  • release my site generator, Sapphire.
  • convince at least 2 of my good friends to attend the IndieWeb Club and set up a personal site (and maybe sneakily shill my SSG, if they have some development experience).
  • contribute to Svelte.
  • play Hyperlight Drifter.
  • complete Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (all endings).
  • read more sci-fi. The main contenders are the first couple of books from the Hyperion series or maybe one of Asimov’s standalone novels?2. Please share recs if you have any!
  • avoid meeting the grim reaper.
  • publish at least 40 posts on this site.
  • publish at least one post for a writing prompt at the IndieWeb Club meetup before the session ends
  • make friends in BLR3, encourage them to visit me often, and to volunteer as test subjects (muahaha, as if they have a choice) to verify whether my cooking is poisonous.
  • get at least 2 piercings. The plan is to get a couple on the same earlobe and determine whether my pain tolerance around my face is adequate for a nose piercing.
  • find a badminton pickup group in BLR that comprises good players that play in a 7km radius from my place of residence, and ideally in the mornings (negotiable). I’m trying to revive my old pickup group from the last time I lived in this city. Unfortunately, the group’s fragmented now — a lot of folks have moved out, some are dealing with injuries, and the others just don’t play anymore.
  • share my writings with my friends (on WhatsApp, Telegram, or any chat application of their choice) unabashedly. They can unsubscribe either completely or category-wise, by simply telling me that they’re not interested :(
  • stop guilting people if I can help it.
  • send out monthly shareholder letters at least 7 times
  • create a group chat for friends who are invested in my work and writing if when it exceeds 10 people.
  • welcome the endearingly bold and pretentious people, especially the ones who make you happy and excited, and inspire you to strive to be just as boisterously ambitious.
  • remain satiated and happy with my life, yet strengthen my propensity for experiencing new things.
  • put up at least 10 posters in my room.
  • cut down on my tendency to be a hater™. I’ll ration it to 15 instances per month for now (once every other day seems fair).
  • avoid getting a stye. Over the past couple of years, I got one each October. This year’s stye wasn’t my fault. I reacted badly to the smoke machines in the concerts.

Here are a few more predictions I decided to add after publishing:

This post was written from a prompt in the IndieWebClub Meetup, Bangalore.

Backmatter

  1. Provided it doesn't pose a conflict of interest with the writer's prophecy that he shall not meet the reaper.

    ↩

  2. A Twitter thread on how sci-fi is a substitute for anime/JRPGs for adults has prompted me to give this a proper shot.

    ↩

  3. In other news, I've shifted to BLR! I'll make time to write about it soon.

    ↩