A Life In Review

. When I originally set out to write this piece. I wanted it to be a satire post. I wanted to write really funny things that you could do to end the year, but instead it got serious real quick and these became real attainable goals that I want all of us to be able to reach. Over the next few weeks (and the past few weeks) you’ll see people posting about pushing through the end of 2024 and making sure that you make the most of it, but frankly, some of us are tired and we don’t have much left in us.

So below you will find ten realistic and very honest end of year goals for 2024. I will even leave a chart that you can screenshot and check off if you want to go that far, but honestly, no pressure.

1. Clean Up My Own Messes: that’s right, I’m just going to clean up after myself. If I can’t get around to cleaning up after everyone else in the house, so be it. At least my own mess is taken care of (maybe if they set this goal too, the house will be clean by the end of the year anyway).
2. Survive One Holiday Function: that means getting through it with no drama. Enjoying the food, the company, the day. Just one day, one holiday where there’s peace. For some of you, this is going to be really easy, for others this is going to actually be a challenge and I hope you make it a true goal.
3. Do Not go Broke Shopping for People: this is one of the most expensive times of year. For my family that is even more true because just about everyone in our immediate family was born at the end of the year. One goal that we set is to not go broke on other people. You don’t need to max out a credit card for the holidays.
4. Schedule Days of Rest: I am asking you to literally write down at least two days over the next few months where you will rest. That means some prep work on your part, but the day of you will read, watch TV, take a bath, order take out, lay on the couch, build a fort. The point is to just do nothing structured. I love having rest days scheduled.
5. Do Something for Someone Else: End of year goals can be really “self” focused, so this one is a mindset change. Do something for someone else. Buy someone a coffee, take someone out to lunch. If you don’t have the funds, send someone a “thinking of you” text. Focus on someone else for a minute.
6. Read A Book: Just one. I am someone who reads a lot, but toward the end of the year I don’t have as much time to read. I know that a lot of people feel like they need to rush through and finish their reading goals, but instead, just take it one book at a time. Reading is meant to be fun anyway, it’s not supposed to be a competition.
7. Take Time Off of Work: Seriously, even if this is the busiest time of year, take a day. Use the time you have left. It’s yours to use anyway. If you are a stay at home parent, take time out of the house without the kids.
8. Eat Food that You Enjoy: Instead of a last minute, end of year, fad diet (that was a mouthful), find some food that you enjoy and enjoy it. Don’t over indulge, but rather enjoy what you’re eating. Have a cookie with your salad or have a side salad with your cake. The point is to take a step back from diet culture and reassess in the new year.
9. Be On Time: that’s it. It doesn’t mean that when you’re on time you will be put together or have remembered everything, but just make it a realistic goal to show up when you say you will.
10. Survive: sometimes the only you can do for the rest of the year is just survive it and that’s enough. Truly if that is all that you can manage for the next couple months, do it. Just survive the rest of 2024 and give yourself a fresh start in 2025.

Good luck my friends! It really is just the rest of the year. There is only as much pressure as you put on it. Make the most of it, or don’t. Set goals, or don’t. I love this time of year so my ultimate goal is to make the most of the time that I have. Below you will find the check list that you can screen shot! Enjoy!