A Review of 2024

It's a week into the new year, but I am still trying to plan it out and come to terms with 2024.

In 2024, I did something different. After a lot of walking and pondering, I sat down and wrote out my values and goals. I hadn't done that before, so it was new and challenging. Honestly, I'd 'achieved' all the things I had set out to do in my youth (job, family, house, material things), and I was floundering.

After a lot of soul-searching and reworking, I came to the point where I could confidently state that my two values boiled down to Understanding and Independence. I also wrote up a mission statement to contextualise those values into a way of doing and being:

The world is complex, but I seek to understand it. That means moving, changing and being dynamic. Life is experiential. I want to see the world — walk it, taste it, see it. I will be accountable for my actions, seek to tread softly and make choices that are good. I want the world to learn, starting with myself, then my family and those I can touch. Through learning, I can create opportunities for understanding, compassion and friendship. I want to have independence and help others achieve it so that we can live openly and honestly, being true to ourselves.

It's almost a year from that work, which included a plan for the year and setting some goals, so I figure I better hold myself to some account. I worked on the premise of having six areas of life and setting a long-term vision for each, as well as a 5-year and 1-year goal to aim for. This worked great in giving me a direction for where life was heading, and I felt a lot more focused throughout the year - things were happening, and I was moving towards something significant for once.

But let's review the specifics:

1. Career

Start experimenting with my own business. See where I can create value and a reputation. Look at passive and active incomes.

I think in this I made some good ground here. I got myself a couple of websites up and running, including learning-types.com, patternlearning.co and overhauled learning-patterns.com. I even found time to be creative and create some alternative logos for the university. I presented them at several conferences and got some constructive and encouraging feedback. In terms of income - well from an active space there are workshops that I can run and I plan on getting a half-day, full-day and a design sprint model up and running in the new year. I got a good taste and I am keen to keep going.

2. Relationships

Connect with new people by exploring new social spaces and opportunities.

Probably not the biggest gain, but some progress. I carved out some time in the week to be more social and did a few events with different people throughout the year. It's challenging to make new friends in your 40s, but I think just operating in more social spaces is enough. I do hope in the new year that some more travel and getting outside of my comfort zone might help.

3. Physical Health

Loose weight, low carb eating, keep exercising and sweat

Eating habits have changed quite a bit this year so I'm happy with that. I am walking everyday with the dog but have sucked at getting the sweat count up. I had a massive lull during winter and I need to look at how to counter that — I think I was also sick for about a week and that really knocked the momentum I had. The weight is a bit of a yo-yo — it's gone down and up, mostly down for the moment (which is good) but I need to work at it more.

4. Inner-Personal

Build on my international network. Participate and reach out to people.

Not too bad. I caught up with Alan, Kate, Grant, Lindy, Julie and a few others during the year, and it was good for the soul. I need to make more of an effort - and go back to doing some Zoom sessions. I wonder about podcasting as a motivator to reach out and reconnect, and there is also a plan for an overseas trip in 2025, which will force me to contact people.

5. Finances

Start a new business bringing in new income.

I made $0 new dollars this year from anything I did. I never really got the momentum behind me to get the workshops out to the public and start looking for paid gigs. The job got in the way, not necessarily with extra hours but by dominating my headspace. I need to work on this some more and create more space for myself and my career goals.

6. Rest & Recreation

To let go of control. Create space and margin by not extending myself. To take time out for me.

Hmmmm. This is a tricky one as there are aspects and periods where this has been true, but I don't think I nailed this one. Control is certainly something I struggled with, and while I lived with its loss in many ways this year in my job, I don't think I went along with it willingly. In fact, up until the last week or so, I actively fought against it.

A retrospective

Some quick notes using our work retro format:

Keep

Stop

Start

Change