As an Enneagram 3, I never met a goal I did not like. I know some people despise new year’s resolutions, or think that January 1 is an arbitrary time to start working on goals, but I personally love the energy of a fresh new calendar year. I feed off of the enthusiasm of other people and take an interest in what others have decided to prioritize on their own goal lists. I always take some time at the end of December to reflect and set objectives for the following year. I try to create goals that are specific and measurable; I do not find motivation in vague goals or intentions.
Gretchen Rubin has had a whimsical approach to new year’s resolutions for several years now, and she and her sister will make a list of goals each year that are easy and hard, fun and more difficult, silly and ambitious. I began this practice in 2019 with a “19 for 2019” list and have been doing it ever since. What is great about this approach is that the list really is a total mix! I have a few things on here that will simply bring me joy, a few things that are important but not urgent that I keep procrastinating on, and a few things that are purposefully effortful.
If you are curious and like seeing others’ lists like I do, here are mine for the year:
Begin the D.Min. program at Duke. This will begin in August. I have some preparatory work I need to do with my job and my family to carve out time to be away for the in-person weeks and make sure that the hybrid classes fit into our schedules.
Update our wills. My husband Dan and I drafted wills years ago, but we have a few changes that we need to make. We have kept putting this task off because what we have is good enough, but we should get this done.
Read 100 books. I read 86 last year. This number will be more of a stretch. During the pandemic years I regularly topped 100, but I am filling some of that reading time with other activities now. I think going back to school will naturally lead me to read more.
Learn Spanish and practice with Dan. Dan and I both took up Duolingo a few years ago but have fallen off. I vacillated between French and Spanish, but we both have decided to stick to Spanish and practice speaking with each other. Right now I see this looking like doing about 10 minutes of Duolingo every day and speaking with Dan later in the year once we build our vocabulary.
Plant seasonal plants. I would love to have daffodils and tulips in the spring and other fun seasonal flowers. This is not hard; I just need to remember to do the planting and mark a couple of Saturdays during the year to get it done.
Take singing lessons. Oof. This one feels a little scary. I am not a singer, but with my job, I feel it would be helpful if I were more confident in carrying a tune. I have a teacher and lessons booked for the spring.
Spend 1:1 time with each child. This is another thing that needs to be scheduled. I will aim for a weekly date with one child (Dan will likely take the other child and we will swap the following week). The kids thrive on individual attention, but outside of school, they are mostly together, so I know this would make a big impact.
Plan an in-person gathering with long distance friends. I have a standing meetup with college friends each year, but I would like to try to for at least one more with other friends who live far away. Even if it does not happen in 2024, I would like to plan one for 2025.
Post weekly to Substack. In progress! I would like to work further ahead and have several drafts going at once.
Figure out a great Christmas gift to ship. We have many long distance friends and family, and I would love to send a small heartfelt Christmas gift. Food is tricky because of weather and time in transit, but I am searching for the perfect small something to make and give.
Attend Cursillo staff training. Cursillo is the Episcopal Church’s version of a weekend revival. I will likely eventually serve on staff, so I want to get the one-day training out of the way. It will involve traveling elsewhere in Alabama and finding childcare for a Saturday, so it will require some planning.
Participate in a book club. I had the best intentions of joining one in the second half of 2023, and conflicts kept popping up. There is a neighborhood book club that is already active, and I have the January date on my calendar.
Create a D. Min. concept that is publishable. This is the most challenging item on the list. I will need to write a thesis for the program, and I hope that I can rework what I prepare into something that can be published. I have a friend in the publishing world that can steer me in the right direction. The actual project will not be completed for several years, so this is a multi-year goal.
Race a 5K. I raced one last year and liked having the benchmark. I will find a race offered when the weather is ideal. This is something Dan and I like to do together, so it is a great shared goal.
Plan a fun monthly adventure during lunch hour. A change of scenery and a touch of whimsy is always good, and I like taking advantage of lunchtime when I can because the kids are in school, so I don’t need to worry about childcare.
Read through the Bible again. I skipped last year, but I like the discipline of reading through the entire Bible in a year. Of course I regularly consume scripture in the lectionary format because of my job, but I also like just a basic chronological reading.
Take the kids gift shopping. The kids shopped for each other this past Christmas, but I would like to expand that circle and for them to start thinking about how to find gifts others might like.
Recognize birthdays again. This is another repeat from previous years, but I fell off a bit last year. I will send texts, but I love sending a card since most of the mail we receive nowadays is no fun. I am trying out Ink Cards this year to see if I like it.
Send one card each week, or 50 this year. See previous item about creating fun mail. It does not take long to write a note, and I think notes—especially the “thinking of you just because” notes—are very nice to receive.
Schedule a getaway with Dan—an overnight or hopefully longer.
Give myself one night away in a hotel. I would love to take a day away from everyone and everything just to reflect and plan. This time would involve deep work in a distraction free area (and some eating chocolate in bed while watching HGTV). Ideally this would happen towards the end of 2024.
Incorporate more barre and yoga into my workout routine. I will always pick running or strength training first, but balance is important.
“Write 24 for 2024.” This is Gretchen Rubin’s challenge this year: write for 24 minutes or 2-4 minutes each day, however you choose to define it. For my writing practice, I will either reach out to friends or write part of a Substack post every single day. I am only asking myself to do 2-4 minutes, but so far, I have found I will often go longer, which is of course is a good thing.
Find something to do with my hands as a creative outlet. I have no idea what this will be, but I spend much of my days in my head. I would like an outlet other than cooking that is tactile. I’m not feeling pulled to paint, draw, stitch, or garden, so I’m not totally sure what that leaves…but I will try to find something!
All right, so tell me if you’d like: Do you have a list? What are your hopes for 2024? Or are you anti-resolutions?
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