Hello, hello. Another chapter in the book of life is coming to an end. Ready to plan a successful 2024? But before that, let’s reflect a little on 2023. Do you feel like you accomplished most of what you had planned? How many curveballs did life throw at you? Personally, 2023 threw a few dirty curveballs that resulted in me not being able to accomplish what I had planned for this year.
But the truth is that every year we face new challenges that ultimately help us grow and shape us into the person we are. In this post I will give you 7 tips that I truly believe will help you have a successful 2024.
Let’s get right to it.
Tip #1: Recap 2023
The first thing you should do to prepare for a successful 2024 is to self-reflect on 2023. You cannot change anything if you first don’t recognize it. So, here are a few questions to help you get started.
- What were your goals for 2023?
- Did you achieve your goals?
- What were your happiest moments?
- What were your saddest moments?
- What are your main takeaways from 2023?
Tip #2: Update your goals
Now that you have a note of the goals you had for 2023, let’s see why you were not able to accomplish them. It is very important that you set yourself up for success. When you write a goal, you need to break it down into two parts:
1. Write a clear definition of your goal
2. Write small steps that you can take to achieve them.
You have probably heard something like “think about the step that is in front of you and not the whole staircase”.
Tip #3: Have a planner
I admit that for the past few years my planners have stayed empty. I rely on my phone calendar for appointments, and that’s about all I do with a calendar. This year it is my goal to have a planner where I not only write down my appointments but write down weekly and monthly goals as well.
Things you can add to your planner to make it a companion wherever you go:
- Appointments
- Weekly goals
- Monthly goals
- Motivational quotes
- Bullet lists
- Random notes
- Gratitude list
Tip #4: Budget
If you do not have a budget set in place, then this is your year to do so. If you are new to budgeting it may feel like a daunting task, but I want to tell you that budgeting can be as easy as you want it to be.
To set up your budget all you need to do is:
- Write down all your expenses (housing, auto, phone bills, subscriptions, etc.) The question you are asking yourself here is: “Where is all my money going?”
- After you write down your expenses, write down your monthly income.
- Now, you can decide if you need to make some changes to your expenses. Maybe you need to cut down on eating out so much, or cancel a subscription you don’t really use, etc.
- Make sure you are paying yourself first (saving) every paycheck you get or saving on any income you receive.
- Set up a plan that works for you. Here is a simple budget sheet I used to schedule my payments between my paychecks.
6. Follow your plan!
7. That’s it! You now have a budget.
Tip #5: Make a vision board
As cheesy as this may sound, I really believe it is a good idea to have a visual of your goals and motivations every morning. So, go to the dollar store and grab a poster board, glue, scissors, markers, and write/draw down how and where you see yourself in this new year 2024.
Things to add to your vision board:
- Dreams (write a book, learn something, vacation, etc.) Items you’d like to purchaseIntentions (be more mindful, connect with family better, etc.)
- Words for the year (clarity, joy, peace, etc.)
Check out this post on how to make a vision board in 9 steps
- Use pictures, quotes, sayings, images to represent what you want to do, postcards, etc. Make it your first crafting project for 2024!
Tip #6: Get rid of everything that didn’t make you happy in 2023
Having toxic relationships with people, things, places take up space in your mind that could be occupied instead by something that makes you happy.
Sometimes, these toxic things stay in our lives because they are deeply rooted in us. It’s easy to say that your relationship with a frequently seen aunt or uncle is toxic, but it’s something else to think about cutting that relationship when you see them all the time at family reunions (ps. I am not saying to just cut all ties with them). If you have tried to have a healthy relationship and its not working out, maybe try to set boundaries and pick the family reunions you attend.
I apologize if this is not the best example, but all I am trying to say is that by setting boundaries with anything toxic in your life, you can begin to free yourself from it.
Tip #7: Adopt new habits today!
The great thing about this one is that you can start today. Now that you freed some time by setting boundaries, you have time to invest in yourself.
Pick up a new hobby. Learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle (topics like being vegetarian, or healthy recipes, or how our surroundings affect the way we eat). The key is to replace old, bad habits with new ones.
Remember to take it one day at a time. Incorporate these habits in a way that feels very easy to do so you don’t get overwhelmed too quickly. Check out my post on breaking bad habits.
I hope these tips have helped you get started on your journey to a successful 2024.
What other tips do you have to help others be successful this 2024?
Thank you for reading. Consider subscribing if you have not done so already. I have a small YouTube channel on simple Caribbean recipes you can follow if that topic interests you.
Sincerely,
