Welcoming 2024

Another new year!!! After such an amazing 2023, I am kind of excited to see what 2024 has in store but also a little wary. I'm kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop, which I know is awful but past experience... Anyway, I'm trying to just be excited. I also cannot believe some of the 10 year anniversaries that I will be remembering in 2024!

We are kicking off a new month and a new year, so I have a lot to share! Honestly, my favorite part about the new year is doing all my posts about the stuff from last year and dreaming about what I might do this year. It's fun to be able to dream again, even if it is only for a year. I try to pick things that are realistic so they have a chance of happening but also will challenge me in someway.

Personal

• Stay with friends for a week. I get to stay with some friends while their parents are gone and I love doing it. These friends in particular I've stayed with multiple times but never for this long!
  
• Have some families over for dinner. We have a few friends we've wanted to have over for so long but we were super busy with the family business and then it was the holidays so hopefully now we can get things at least scheduled.
  
• Go see The Boys In The Boat. I really like the book and I got so excited when I saw that they made a movie!!
  

Business

• Get ready to do taxes. I try to get my mileage figured out and sort out my expenses vs. my income so that I have as much done ahead of time and taxes are easier. This year I have editing work too so that will make things a little more complex.
  
• Plan the launch for the Class of 2025 Senior Rep Team. I am going to open up my Senior Rep Team again this year and see if we can fill it! So if you know someone who is graduating in 2025, tell them to stay tuned!
  
• Try to get IG and blog posts synced. I want to try something new this year with Instagram and make my posts related to my blog posts. So Monday's IG post will correspond with Monday's blog and Thursday's IG post will tease at Friday's blog. I'm hoping that will help minimize my creative dry spells.
  

Plans For 2024
I have a few things I would like to do this summer.

• Mackinac Bridge walk. This is something I've wanted to do for a few years now.
  
• West Side trip. I have a few things that I discovered later or just didn't get to on my trips last summer so I would like to do another day trip over to Grand Haven and Holland.
  
• Do something with Abby. My cousin is preparing to go overseas for mission work and I would love to do one last thing with her before she leaves. Maybe going to see her and do some things in New York?
  
• Go to Mackinac Island. This one is a huge wish but it's been 10 years since I first went and seven years since I last went so it would be so fun to go back!
  

Goals For 2024
Last year I had four goals for the year. I had varying degrees of success but I liked the habit mindset that I had with them. I'm going to try and continue with those four and add a few more things. Looking at what I came up with, I see myself working on consistency, perseverance, and discipline.

• Make my bed and wash my face. These are simple things that take almost no time but I think will make my mornings and evenings so much better.
  
• Put laundry away promptly. This has been something I've struggled with for YEARS. I just do not put my laundry away the day it gets done. It can lead to my room feeling messy and out of control, which I don't like.
  
• Write out books of the Bible. I did this a few years ago and want to do it again. I need to try something to get in the Word more.
  
• Five minutes of silence each morning. I'm still trying to practice "being" and stillness. Hopefully, as the year goes on, I can work up to ten minutes.
  
• Do arm exercises. I've got to incorporate more movement and exercise in my life and I have an arm routine that is simple to do and doesn't take long so I want to start doing that regularly.
  
• Finish devotionals. I have two devotionals that I started and never finished. I need to just finish them.
  

If you know me in real life, please check in with me and help keep me accountable with these!

How about you? What plans or goals do you have for 2024 and/or January? Would you like to join me in any of my goals?