Reflecting on 2024 Goals: Progress and Insights

 October has arrived, and I can feel the end of the year approaching rapidly.  The last quarter is about spending time with family and friends, from Halloween and Thanksgiving to Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year's Eve.

Each month flies by faster than the last, and the calendar fills up quickly. The days get shorter, and the end of Daylight Saving Time means earlier evenings and bedtimes. As I've grown older, I find that my energy runs low once the sun goes down.  It's rare for me to stay awake past 10:30 pm.  

The end of the year also inspires me to look back over what has transpired in the previous months.  What were my goals for the year last January?  Have I completed or even started them?  

I found my post for the New Year 2024: Start the New Year With Possibilities.

These are the 2024 goals I wrote for myself on December 22, 2023: 

---

1.  Writing: 

•  Continue to post at least one weekly article on Substack, Medium & my Website.

• Gain 395 followers on Substack to reach 500 subscribers by the end of 2024. Maintain a 65% open rate. 

• Complete the first draft of my memoir by the end of the year. (about 6000 words per month).  

     Update October 2, 2024:

•  I’m proud to say that I have posted on Substack every weekend thus far in 2024, usually on Fridays.  Some articles were always better than others, but “done is better than perfect.”  I feel proud to have kept my word to myself.  I have written 66 articles in 62 weeks. I repost 80% of the time on my website, Next 50 Years, and stopped posting altogether on Medium several months ago.  I felt less welcome inside the Medium community than at Substack, where I felt I belonged. 

• I discovered that there is a difference on Substack between a “follower” and a “subscriber” (subscribers are sent an email notification of my posts). Regarding " followers,” I have already surpassed my 500-count goal. Yay! My “subscriber” goal has nearly doubled since last year, and I’m thrilled about that. If doubling happened yearly, I’d be a very happy camper…uh, writer. Sadly, my “open rate” (the number of emails containing my articles that are opened versus those sent) has not risen. But it is a great ambition to continue for next year! I am happy as long as I keep writing and at least one person reads or comments on my work. I also know that my family will be able to read my words for years to come. I’m growing as a writer, and that is my primary purpose.

• As I highlighted in my post last June, Embracing Fiction, I’ve abandoned the idea of writing my memoir altogether. I’m happily starting on my first novel and plan to have the first draft completed by July 2025. 

---

2. Health:  Continue walking a minimum of 8k per day and add 2-3 days of strength training weekly. Lose 20 lbs from today's weight (12-2023) by the end of the following year and stay consistent with healthy eating habits. 

Update October 2, 2024:

• This category is still a work in progress. The positives are that I started going to a gym for those over 50+ (described in a post from last June, The Gym) and have consistently attended strength training classes 2-3 times a week. I look forward to going and have made some new friends.   With Florida's exceptionally hot Spring and Summer months (often over 100 heat index), I gave up walking outside but still maintained 5k or more steps daily. My weight hasn’t changed much, but my shape has improved, and I feel more in control of my eating habits.  I also added Lumen to my routine, tracking protein, carbs, and fat, and have started 16-hour intermittent fasting again. I’m confident that if I can maintain my health and energy, I’ll be where I want to be in weight and strength in 2025.

---

3. Money/Budgeting: Track expenses monthly & reel in the Amazon shopping. Meet or spend less than allotted every month. Begin earning at least $100 a month online creatively through writing, videos, affiliate marketing, or other means by the end of the year—then set a goal to increase income every month in 2025. 

Update October 2, 2024:

• I groaned reading this goal—it is also a work in progress. Much more attention is needed. I’d like to ignore it until after the Holidays. That is fair, right? I’ll revisit this category in 2025. 

---

4. Decluttering & Organizing: Go through every section & area in the house & garage by the end of the year. Donate items no longer needed, including clothes. 

Update October 2, 2024:

• Well, I started on such a high note, didn’t I?  Sigh.  I have sent some boxes and bags to Goodwill this year, given items to others, or sold them at a yard sale, but there is so much more that needs to go. (Also, back to goal #3, “stuff” keeps coming in from my friends at Amazon :)  I don’t think it is possible for “every section” to be decluttered in three months unless that is all I did from sunup till sundown (not happening). However, there is still time to do more—another good reason to revisit these goals in October instead of the end of the year.

---

5. Legacy: label and organize pictures and start treasure boxes for my family. Make videos about items that are important to me and talk about their history. 

Update October 2, 2024:

• I have labeled and organized some pictures and purchased the treasure boxes, though there is currently only one item in one box. Though no footage exists, I’ve considered what to put on a video. And yes, this will be on next year's list, too. 

---

I’ve heard that having just one word for your theme or manta for the whole year is a great idea. Mine will be FUN.

• Looking back, I did have a lot of FUN.  I just need to glance at the pictures from the last nine months to find the fun.

---

There are so many memorable moments with my family and granddaughters at the park and their gym, birthday parties, Easter egg hunts, swimming lessons, trips to the zoo, state park, and aquarium, and best of all, welcoming my new grandson. He is a delight every day. I've never seen such a happy little boy. I have a feeling he will always seek out the fun and joy in life.

My husband and I witnessed a total solar eclipse from a cruise ship last April and spent a record 23 days on board. We also visited Hawaii and Victoria, B.C. We'll unlikely have a similar experience again, but we enjoyed every moment and have hundreds of photos to reminisce about.

---

I’ve made new friends this year and have had unique experiences I will never forget. 

As I reflect on my life, I am most proud not only of the people in it but also of my continuous efforts over the years to improve, learn from mistakes, remain curious and open, embrace new ideas, find joy in learning, and creating, and my overriding desire to create happy moments and memories, no matter how small,  in the company of others. I don’t always succeed; my goals aren’t always complete, but I get back up the next day and try again. If nothing else, I am tenacious.

---

I hope this recap of my 2024 goals has inspired you to look back over the past year, celebrate your wins, reflect, and make plans for the future. 

If you want to achieve something before the end of the year, you still have nearly three months to make changes. (I’m speaking to myself right now, too.) Take some time to reflect on what you set out to do back in January and consider all you have accomplished so far. You might be surprised by how much you have achieved. At the very least, I hope you have had and will continue to have fun.

As always, thanks for reading! 

Keep smiling!

xx