I was talking to BFF Beth today, telling her that I didn’t think I was going to do a 24 for 2024 this year. I had a handful of things, but really no inspiration. She suggested doing 4 for 2024, which was an excellent idea, but after our call it just seemed like ideas for a full list dropped down from the sky. I tried to link most of my items to my 2024 theme word STRONG, breaking it down into Strong Body (muscles, especially core; bones; heart/lungs), Strong Mind (reading, learning), Strong Spirit (nature, music, beauty, order, calm, love). Most of my 24 for 2024 fall into one of those categories, but there are also some there just because.
24 for 2024
- Get the perfect thrifted red hoodie sweatshirt
- Find a way to disengage from office politics
- Read 24 novels
- Take a photography class
- Build on the success of last year’s pollinator garden
- Weight training 3 – 4 days a week
- Create wake-up and bedtime routines/rituals
- Treat myself to a new Apple Watch
- Build on the success of last year’s desk/basement/loft/garage edit
- Go on at least one trip that requires a passport
- Be with my mom and Sam on their respective birthdays
- Christmas in Boston
- Create a binder of my favorite poems
- No meat February
- Get a tripod or monopod for my camera
- Get a plumber in to fix the tub fixture thingie so that I can take baths again
- 2nd shingles shot
- New eye glasses
- Make 2024 playlists for walking, roadtrips, calm
- Breakfast dates with Chris
- Create a capsule wardrobe using items I already own
- Go to a nature preserve I haven’t been to yet
- Photograph birds along the shores of Lake Erie
- Core training 6 days a week
I’ve already crossed one item off the list: Treat myself to a new Apple Watch. My old one was Chris’ and was the original first generation Apple Watch. It lost its charge before the end of the day and kept calling me Chris (“Keep it up, Chris!”) no matter what we did. The new one knows my name and is super peppy.
My cold is very nearly gone. I worked from home all last week, and visited my primary care physician Friday to see why my ear was still stuffy and I couldn’t hear much with it. Turns out the infection did not respond to the antibiotic ear drops and now I am on the big-gun oral antibiotics. Ear is still blocked, but there is no pain in my ear or throat anymore, so that’s progress at least! I can’t wait to get back to the gym. I miss that routine.
January is my least-favorite month, mostly because of how long, cold, and dark it is. I don’t like to wish time away – it’s far too precious – but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad that the month is 2/3 over. I’m reclining in bed right now and the 4:41 pm sun is slanting through the window in such a lovely way, though. Reminder to self – the sun is here all year long and there is beauty to find even in January.
I hope your week has some sunny days, wherever you are.
Love,
Michelle xoxo
❤️❤️❤️