Setting Intentions for 2024
The fresh start of a new year has always felt very cathartic, allowing me to let go of anything that doesn’t serve me and providing space for new opportunities and growth in the new year. My approach to the new year has softened in more recent years. I tend to avoid “pushing myself” or metrics that feel unattainable. I focus more on small, incremental changes, short term adjustments and changing the feel of my life, not just the output. I also let this simmer for most of January before putting anything solid down on paper. This allows me to make adjustments and get a better feel for what my challenges are going to be. Here are a few of the intentions that are sitting on my draft list for 2024:
Read more and try some new genres - Prior to last year, most of my reading was “productive”, non-fiction, gardening, cooking, DIY and business. I set the goal at the beginning of 2023 to read one fiction book per month and ended the year having doubled that goal and then some. I found my love of reading again and that simple step of self-care translated to more mental and emotional capacity in other areas of my life. This year, I want to expand the types of books I read to stretch my brain.
Track my personal finances consistently and change my set up for my personal/business finances to make that easier - I did some set up Dec to help me start the new year off fresh. I have two business checking accounts now and two personal checking accounts. Both spaces have one account for regular autopay bills that is automatically funded through transfers to cover those bills and a second account for variable spending. This allows me to free up the mental energy needed to keep track of my bank balance and upcoming bills. It all happens in the background and I am hopefully limiting bank fees from missed transfers or unexpected auto draws. I am also eliminating credit card use for the first 6 months of the year as I pay off debt and get out of the habit of unnecessary overspending.
Move my body more - I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I need accountability in this area, so I started this winter with a twice a week weight lifting group at the gym. If I know they are expecting me, I will show up. I added a yoga challenge with an online group with the new year and plan to add regular walking/hiking dates once the weather warms up. This also creates some built in socializing that I don’t always get in my work at home lifestyle.
Continue to practice better emotional regulation - A combination of non-existent self care and big, hard challenges in my personal life have helped me to recognize that a shift needed to happen. I was unable to cope with small inconveniences and bigger, hard tasks were avoided altogether because I just couldn’t deal. It also made me an impatient and uncompassionate parent and boss. Last fall, I did a big assessment of this and made some changes. Self care, in the form of reading, moving my body and being creative were big pieces of that shift. I also spent time reading and listening to podcasts to better understand the mental, emotional and even physical things going on that were making it hard. These things together have made a huge difference coming into 2024 and I hope to keep building on that.
Have fun! - This seems crazy, but it is so easy to get pulled into all of the logistics and to dos and the reasons why something can’t or shouldn’t be. In 2024 I am prioritizing saying yes to fun things and enjoyment. This is dinner with friends, travel and hobbies. This also means investing more energy into the parts of my business that I love, like consulting with clients, problem solving and making things better for our clients.
I would love to hear more about how you develop your new years intentions and goals and what you have planned for 2024. Please drop us a line or comment with your 2024 Intentions and let us know what Missoula Bookkeeper can do to support you!
In honor of the, ahem…interesting weather the country has been experiencing lately, here are some fast facts about winter:
Snow is actually translucent and the light reflected is what makes it appear white.
The shape of the ice crystals in snowflakes are determined by the temperature when they are formed.
The largest snowflake ever recorded was 15 inches across.
The coldest temp in the U.S. is -80, recorded in Alaska in 1971
The fear of snow is called “chionophobia”.
Mount Baker Ski Area in WA recorded 1,140 inches (95 feet) during the 98-99 ski season.
