It’s a new year to achieve anything that we put our minds to. Setting goals at the beginning of the year is the perfect way to position ourselves towards success.
I’ve set mine and would love for you to join me in the journey.
First, we need to decide what we want to achieve in 2024. Do you want to eat healthier? Do you want to learn a new skill? Do you want to become more active either physically or in your community?
Whatever your goal/goals may be, be sure that it is clear and tangible. Try not to bog yourself down and take on too much. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure. Prioritize and edit your expectations so that it is something challenging yet with hard work is attainable.
Once you have decided that THIS is the thing I want to work towards, put it on paper. Write it down so that you have a reminder of what you are setting out to accomplish and look at it as the year progresses.
Throughout the year keep either a calendar or journal that you can track your progress, roadblocks, developments, insecurities, growth, struggles, etc… This will help keep movement towards a positive outcome.
Be kind to yourself. If you have a bad day, week, month it’s okay. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back at it. Remember who you were twelve months ago is much different than who you are today. The same goes for twelve months from now. Always keep in mind that sometimes your goals will need to be adjusted throughout the year.
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” - Henry Ford
2024 Goals:
My first goal for this year is to have more structure in my daily routine.
2023 was very difficult for me to keep a daily schedule. I had surgery in February and the first half of the year my only focus was on my recovery. My day to day depended on doctors and physical therapy appointments and doing it around my husband’s work hours.
The second half of the year, even though I graduated from PT; I still had physical limitations. As someone who is terribly independently stubborn it was challenging to rely on others to help me. My days became me trying to do the best I could given the circumstances.
Another issue that I faced following the surgery was severe bouts of insomnia. For about three months I had to sleep sitting up. Even when I finally was able to sleep lying down, I could not get comfortable. This led to me only being able to sleep 2-5 hours at time even now almost a year later.
So, this year I want to reset. Reset my internal clock. Reset my headspace. Reset my itinerary. Become more regimented.
My plan for this year is to strictly schedule my time to achieve that reset. No more screen time after 9 pm. In bed by 10 pm. Get up at 7 am (no matter if I did not sleep well). No screen time until after 9 am (unless it is work related). I am hopeful that this will help jump start my sleep cycle so that I am able to sleep 6-7 hours (8 hours if I’m really lucky).
Throughout the week, I plan on scheduling pretty much everything that I possibly can. Life being life, there will always be those unforeseen circumstances that arise. However, for everything that CAN be controlled I will keep a date book of what I want my days to look like and adjust as needed.
My second goal for this year is a bit of a building block off of the first goal. I plan on setting and partaking in monthly challenges. These will be twelve mini goals that I would like to develop each month. Feel free to participate and let me know your progress.
2024 Monthly Challenges:
January – Shop your closet challenge. Only wear what you already have, no new purchases. Take inventory of your closet and clean it by purging any unused or unwanted items.
February – Healthy home challenge. Clean those most touched and sometimes overlooked spaces like door handles, light switches, stair railings, remote controls, etc… Declutter medicine and kitchen cabinets, pantries, freezers, broom closets, storage spaces, etc…
March – Spring cleaning challenge. Time to get the windows and curtains washed. Pull up the rugs and deep clean those floors. Dedust the tops of the kitchen cabinets. You know the drill.
April – Workout everyday challenge. Go to the gym. Join that yoga or Pilates class. Jump on the stationary bike. Do sit ups in the living room while watching your favorite tv show. Try to move at least 30 mins per day.
May – Walk everyday challenge. Take a walk before work, at lunch or when you get home. Raining? Get on the treadmill. Go to the mall and do some laps.
June – Be a tourist in your own city challenge. Stop by that little corner store you drive by every day. Head over to that park that you’ve seen mentioned on FB. Go walk around that cute town you’ve seen pictures of on IG. Get online and see what local museums, green spaces, restaurants and shops that may interest you and check it out.
July – Reading everyday challenge. Check off that summer reading list. Join a book club. Visit the library. Set up a book exchange with family/friends.
August – Journaling everyday challenge. Time for a mental check in. Write down anything that comes to mind. Let yourself focus on you, your feelings, your anticipations, your problems, etc…
September – Babbel everyday challenge. Now this one is more specific for me but find something that you want to learn and use the month to focus on it. Back when I had my surgery, I signed up to learn Italian. It was a great way to pass the time when I was unable to do much else. Yet I’ve let it slip and this year it is one of the things I want to get back on track. I plan on scheduling time for it each week and then using a month challenge for honing in.
October – Get outside challenge. Find new outdoor activities. Play games outside. Go apple picking, leaf peeping, walk on the beach. Make a fire pit and have a s’mores night. Enjoy that fall fresh air!
November – Meditation everyday challenge. Take time for a moment of quiet solitude. Take time to breathe. Take time to reflect on the year and gear up for the holidays.
December – Happy Holidays challenge. Decorate the house. Bake cookies. Plan and attend parties. Enjoy!
Carolyn Jean Style 