For those of you who haven’t seen Neicy Nash’s viral Emmy speech, have a peek here. This, right here, is the energy I want to bring for myself in 2024. I don’t know about you, but the last couple of years have been tough. Living through a global pandemic took a lot out of all of us, and I thought 2023 was going to be my ‘get back to normal’ year, but really, what even is normal anymore? It's time to redefine the word, I think, and create the normal I want for myself, and I think the normal I want is more like Neicy’s, “Go on girl with your bad self you did that!” Okay, it rolls off her tongue MUCH better than mine, lol, but I think you get the point. Working to create a life I can be proud of, even if I don’t win any awards for it. So, with that in mind, I’ve taken the month of January to do some test runs and figure out what that looks like for me, and what goals I think might help me thank me, not just when the end of December 2024 rolls around, but into 2025 and beyond!
Blog at least once a month - despite my incredibly spotty history, it is something I really enjoy doing (and this goal is also why this post is coming out on Jan 31 ;) )
Develop a better reading/nighttime routine. I used to read before bed a lot when I was younger, and I’ve fallen out of practice. Also, despite having about a gazillion books on my TBR I only read 12 books last year. TWELVE! One a month! Although, in keeping things realistic, I made my goodreads.com goal for 2024 12 as well, you know, to make things attainable.
Collect postcards from every city/town I visit. I already kind of have been doing this, but I’m going to make a more concerted effort.
Try as many types of fruit as possible - I 100% stole this from someone on Instagram, ‘cause I thought it sounded super fun. Also, I love a goal that’s about doing something more.
Watch a movie off of “The Neverending Movie List” every week. What’s The Neverending Movie List you ask? Well, since 2017, I’ve been keeping a spreadsheet of all the movies that have come out that I’ve been remotely interested in watching. There are 473 movies on that list up until the end of Dec 2023. This seems like a no-brainer. I love movies. I have this list. Time to watch some more movies off this list.
Develop a better hair/skin routine. I’m over 40 now (Jesus, that is still mindblowing to say), time to really take my skincare seriously. I’ve chatted with my BFF Alicen, who, of the folks I know, knows the most about skincare, and got some recommendations to add to the regime. Also, my hair has changed a lot in the last few years, and I need to re-learn how to take care of it.
In the same vein, it’s time to retake control of my physical health, so I’m going to try one new exercise-y thing at least once a quarter. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that January was all about yoga, and it’s made me feel so good. I think February’s going to get my up off the mat and out doing some cardio.
and finally,
Get better at juggling.
Sure, some of these are fun and silly (have we met?) and some are more ‘serious’, but isn’t that what life should be? Some of these things are easier to measure than others, but I’m hoping that putting them out there (or here, on my blog as the case may be) will encourage me to keep up with them as 2024 rolls on! So, here we gooooo! See you next month, promise!