2024: Grateful for the Journey

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My best, worst, some mundane moments from my life in 2024. All neatly summed up in convenient bullet points – because nothing says “Type A” like a year of my life categorized and wrapped up in a list.

It’s just a neat, little TLDR version of my previous blog post. I figured we could all use content that’s in a more easily-digestible format every once in a while.

The Highs: Goals I Managed to Knock Out in 2024

• I made it a goal to work out somewhat regularly, as long as I wasn’t out of town. Surprisingly, I managed to work out at least twice a week, consistently! I said surprisingly because I’m usually burnt out by my own, previously rigid schedule by month 6. Having ClassPass to have variety in my workouts, and being flexible with my schedule helped a ton.

• I buckled down and properly learned photography. Previously, I’ve been focusing on composition, and using the trial & error method for technique. My version of a lazy method. I knew about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, but I was lacking in the practical application & experience part of it. Knowing, and even learning to anticipate how they interact when I change one or more variables is what I wanted to learn.
• Piggybacking on that previous note, I went out of my comfort zone and found a local photography community! Instead of staying snug in my introverted shell, comforted by the distance brought by my computer screen. It might sound like a no-brainer, but having an active and engaged community is invigorating!
• Actually going out, with deliberate intention, to take photos. It might sound silly, but when I got my first camera (Canon EOS M50), I was a little embarrassed to be that annoying person taking photos/videos of everything (or I was too lazy to bring it). It also had the bonus side effect of getting my husband into photography – a very big, but pleasant surprise for the both of us.

The Lows: Times Where I Dropped the Ball (or Broke It Entirely…)

• I completely dropped the ball when it came to writing for my blog. There are no words (pun intended) that could encompass how disappointed, guilty, and frustrated I feel about it. I don’t even really have an explanation or justification for it – it just happened. The best I can do is context: other goals, problems, and circumstances simply took priority. So much for documenting 2024…
• Piggybacking on that previous note, and to highlight how badly I had dropped the ball (or just broken it entirely), I didn’t even get to tackle the backlog of blog posts I had planned. Yes, rather than just straight up failing to write new content, I didn’t even get to finish (or in some cases, start writing) my old ideas.
• One of my goals this year was to look for a copywriting and/or proofreading job online, but that didn’t really pan out. I was hoping to gain more experience in credibility, and maybe just branch out a little. It was partially why I did plan and account for a short break from blogging in January-March 2024. But when my schedule filled up from working on my other goals (plus life in general), well… it turned out to be like the lockdown that kept on going.

• Sensing a pattern here: with every goal I had accomplished, came a drawback I didn’t anticipate: my regular routine simply couldn’t accommodate how much I was doing. I was working out somewhat regularly, joining a photography community, learning a new skill, and otherwise adulting. The workouts and the commute time left me tired and ate a bigger chunk of time than I anticipated. By the time I found my groove between my new activities combined with my normal responsibilities, I had simply gotten out of the habit of taking cute photos or videos.

The Rest: A Few Other Mundane Moments to Round Out the Year

• I’ve been getting better at being kinder to myself! I used to (okay, I still do sometimes) internally berate myself for failing to meet a self-imposed deadline, or not doing as well as I hoped to. But 2024 is the year that I’m trying my best to give myself the flexibility and leniency I give to others that I previously denied myself. The worst part is that I have no one to blame except myself and my perfectionist tendencies.
• I found a couple of different gyms and yoga/pilates studios that I enjoy going to. I’ve realized that working out on my own is the most efficient for the lifestyle I want, but… I get burnt out. Fast. Having a few different options has been game-changing since I’m able to cycle through a couple of different workouts depending on my schedule, energy levels, or just straight-up mood.

• There’s been some slight progress in researching & visiting potential locations to move to. Nothing is truly decided yet, and it’s nowhere near as much progress as I would’ve preferred. But at least it’s some progress!
• Unintentionally, I’ve gone through about 3 different hair colors (blue, green, and purple) in 2024 – even up to 4 colors, if I count the blonde my hair fades into when the fantasy color washes off. Not a very significant fact, but I just thought it was neat! Not to mention fun!

…and That’s a (2024) Wrap!

At the end of the day (and year), the goals I laid out for myself went really well. I was able to plan and (more importantly) sustain new habits & routines. What I hadn’t expected though, was how much my new and previous routines either failed to mesh, were incompatible and conflicting, or just straight-up exhausting to maintain.

In retrospect, I probably should’ve seen it coming. But as they say, hindsight is 2024 – whoops, I mean, 20/20!

But at least it’s something that I’m now aware of, and hopefully, I can do a better job navigating that from here. I’m trying not to beat myself up too hard about it since setting up anything new – whether it’s business or learning a new skill (like photography) – takes a lot of time and energy upfront. Now that I’m somewhat confident in the basics, and learning through experience & experimentation, I’m hoping to have more time to write again soon.