Who is ready for a fresh new set of goals for 2024? I know I am! One of my favorite things to do as one year comes to a close and a new one begins is to think about all the things, big and small, I want to accomplish in the coming year. My big theme for the year, which I haven’t really included here, is connection. I want to reach out more, schedule more dates with friends, find fun events to go to, and not experience all of the FOMO I had last year because I wasn’t saying yes to plans. This also includes connecting better with all of you in bloglandia: more emails, messages, comments, snail mail, etc. Connection is what we need most as humans after all the basics are covered, right? And that’s what I want for myself.
But aside from that, I have a whole slew of goals to achieve in 2024! Let’s dive in.
HOME
1. Create a book nook in my bedroom. I need to procure a cozy chair for the corner, a side table, and some bookish prints for the wall. I also think I might buy these floating bookshelves for some of my book collections (like all my Anne of Green Gables books, my Taylor Jenkins Reid collection, etc). It will all come together this year!
2. Finish my living room gallery wall. I need a few more prints to fill out some of the open spaces, but this should be a pretty easy goal to fulfill.
3. Move to a two-bedroom apartment. If it works out for my budget, I would love to make the move to a two-bedroom apartment this year.
4. Buy a new area rug and a new coffee table for my living room. I feel like I just bought a coffee table but I haven’t done a very good job of protecting the surface and now it has all sorts of stains and nicks. It makes me very sad to look at! So I’m on the hunt for a new coffee table as well as a bigger area rug.
5. Reorganize my home: add shelving to my kitchen, hang an organizer in my kitchen pantry, and buy new organizing containers for my closet. I’m excited about this reorganization project! A functional and organized home is my favorite thing. When enhancing your home, every little bit helps. For those interested in simple yet effective solutions, consider exploring the variety of options available at this website, for a range of great home improvement products. These products are easy to install and offer immediate benefits in terms of comfort and energy savings.
MONEY
1. Switch to a rewards credit card. Welp, let’s see if I can make this happen in 2024.
2. Complete monthly budget posts on the blog. They’re back, baby! I think this is the best way for me to manage my budget and keep track of my spending habits.
3. Add at least $1,000 to my emergency fund by the end of the year. I’m starting small here and I’m hoping to far surpass this goal.
4. Pay off the majority of my LASIK bill. I’ll be using my FSA to help with this goal, but also would like to throw some additional money at the overall bill this year.
5. Complete a no-spend month. Ideally, I’ll do this during one of those three paycheck months that comes around a couple of times a year.
HEALTH
1. Figure out an exercise routine that works for me. More to come on this topic, but here’s what I know: I do not want to exercise every day. I do not want to join a gym. And I do not want to spend more than 30 minutes working out. From there, let’s see what I can come up with that will meet my needs!
2. Lower my resting heart rate. My resting heart rate is around the high 80s/low 90s and I want to work toward lowering it this year. If I could get it down to the 70s, I’d be a happy girl!
3. Use my standing desk more often – get to a place where I’m standing for two hours each day. I have a standing desk but I rarely use the standing function. I want to change that in 2024 and get to a point where I’m regularly standing for two hours of my day (not all at once, but throughout the day).
4. Get a sleep study done. Rollover goal from 2023!
5. Be able to comfortably walk 3 miles regularly. One thing I always notice when I’m on vacation and walking a lot more than I normally do: I get worn out so easily! My feet start aching much more quickly than they should, which limits what I can do when I’m on vacation. (And makes things a whole lot less fun.) This year, I’d like to go on more walks and be able to comfortably walk 3 miles.
HOBBIES
1. Read 100 books. I used to give myself much more ambitious reading goals but now, I like keeping it simple with 100 books. This is a number I can comfortably reach.
2. Read 6 books by Agatha Christie. She’s the queen of the mystery genre, right? I’ve only read one book of hers (And Then There Were None) and I picked up Murder on the Orient Express while at an indie bookstore in Tennessee. I’m excited to dive into more of her books this year!
3. Reach 100 listeners per episode on the podcast. Our tiny but mighty podcast has a small set of loyal listeners, and it’s amazing that we even have anyone other than our mothers listening to our silly ramblings. I would love to see our listenership numbers grow this year!
4. Update the blog with a new theme and reorganized categories/tags/pages. I’ve been favoriting WordPress blog themes on Etsy and can’t wait to get this done soon!
5. Watch one season of a show every month. I’m not the best at watching TV, but I’d like to be better. There are so many shows I want to watch! So here’s a small, fun goal to watch at least one season of a show every month. Reality TV does not count! It must be a show that is telling me a story and it cannot be a show I’ve already seen.
FUN STUFF
1. Spend a long weekend at Rainbow River. Recently, I realized that there are tons of VRBOs and Airbnbs available right along Rainbow River, which is the natural spring where I went tubing last year. We could bring our own tube and float along the river! We may do this for my mom’s birthday in July.
2. Get my nose pierced. I’m hoping to do this very soon! I can’t wait!
3. Get more tattoos. Currently, I have four tattoo ideas in my head. I’d love to get two cat tattoos right above the back of my elbows, and I have a vision of an anchor and tulip tattoo on the inside of my ankles for my mom. And probably more to come after that because can’t stop, won’t stop.
4. Take a cake decorating class. This goal was fully inspired by The Big Nailed It! Baking Challenge on Netflix, which had me googling cake decorating classes near me. Even if my cake turns out terrible, I want to at least learn the basics!
5. Find a dry shampoo that works for my hair. Do you have a dry shampoo you love? I have struggled to find one that works for my hair. I have very fine, oily hair that starts looking gross even the morning after I washed it. I’ve tried a lot of dry shampoo brands and none of them really work for me (my hair not only gets greasy at the roots but also the ends, so that’s fun). I think I may have to pay the big bucks for a dry shampoo that will actually work for my hair. Or maybe it’s just impossible.
6. Listen to one new album every month. My Spotify Wrapped every year is pitiful. And that’s because I rarely listen to new music these days, unless it’s Taylor Swift. This year, I’d like to open up my musical horizons by listening to one new album every month. Maybe I’ll find my new favorite artist?!
7. Learn how to back into a parking space like an overconfident white man. Do I need to say more? I’m still so very cautious about backing into parking spaces, even with my handy-dandy backup camera.
8. See a Dolphins game in person. Rollover goal. I have to make this happen in 2024!
9. Buy new luggage. It’s been a really long time since I replaced my luggage. I finally got rid of the Jessica Simpson suitcase I’ve been using since 2011 because it was starting to break down. (That baby held up!) And my carry-on suitcase was a spur-of-the-moment purchase when I had to buy a small suitcase quickly before a trip. I don’t love it; it only has two wheels so rolling it around an airport is annoying. So it’s time to treat myself to new luggage; I’d like to get a large suitcase and a smaller carry-on suitcase.
10. Start working through the “I’m Dead, Now What?” planner. Maybe this doesn’t belong in “Fun Stuff,” ha, but I’m keeping it here because it’s one of those miscellaneous tasks I need to do. I can’t remember who talked about this planner on Instagram, but I think it’s a great idea. It’s just an easy place to put all of the things that your loved ones will need to remember after you’re gone, like medical information, financial information, accounts to cancel/close, pet information, etc. I think I’ll need to go through this very, very slowly but I can at least get started in 2024.
These are excellent goals. I look forward to your budget posts because I love thinking bout how I could spend better via friends who are more money savvy. A bedroom nook sounds perfect, and it is something I would like to create in Dorothy’s room, too. What about a treadmill desk? Not working out per se, but would help overall movement/stamina, not feel like a workout, etc. Cake decorating! How fun! I keep meaning to take a cookie class— such a fun gol.
Ooh, you might have piqued my interest with a treadmill desk – or at least one of the most affordable portable options. Sometimes it’s just the prospect of STANDING that I don’t want to do, but if I could just walk slowly, it might be more enticing!
These are great goals! However, I only see one travel related one! Are you going anywhere this year? I know you are really good at planning fun excursions! Re the walking, I don’t know exactly how your work schedule is but maybe you could set a timer and go for a 10 min walk around the block every couple of hours? This would be a half mile a few times a day and then you could up it later or do one after work or something? This would also get you outside and away from the screen for a few minutes.
I love the connections idea. One of the things I have tried to do for the same reason is to always reply to blog comments and to focus on being more “there” for a few rather than barely there for a lot. I am not always successful and also don’t always read every single one of everyone’s posts, but I am trying to have more deeper connections rather than fewer shallower ones. It’s a work in progress though!
I don’t normally have many travel-related goals but I think this might be a quiet year on the travel front, depending on finances. I’m planning to go to Asheville in early October but that’s about it so far!
I could definitely go for 10-minute walks around the block – that’s just a lot more difficult to do in the summer because it is just SO hot and humid and I don’t want to show up on video calls with a sweaty face, lol. But something to think about!
OMG I used to have a Jessica Simpson suitcase and it was fabulous! I found it at TJ Maxx a looong time ago. The price was satisfying, it looked great, and was very functional. I was sad when one of the wheels broke last year.
It sounds funny to say that I want to watch more TV, but I went through a dry spell where I couldn’t find any shows so I started just watching random stuff on YouTube. There’s nothing wrong with that but now I’ve found a few shows that I like and I realized that I’ve been missing TV. Hello WHY HAVEN’T I TAKEN A CAKE DECORATING CLASS??????????? I’m stealing your goal for my list. Uh and also why can’t I back into a parking space or parallel park…these are things I could learn….
Anyways these are very solid goals and I look forward to reading about them. Happy 2024!
Did we have the same suitcase? Mine was purple!
It’s too bad we can’t take a cake decorating class TOGETHER! Darn distance.
Oh, dry shampoo. I mean, who knows. I have tried a few and they either flat out don’t work OR they leave a whitish residue. So if you figure something out, let me know.
In terms of walking on vacation, maybe you can combine that with your exercise goal? Instead of every day, maybe a couple of longer walks during the week? I know it is hard because you’re in Florida and it gets hot, but if it was just twice a week maybe you could make it work?
For cake decorating, I bought decorating tips and just having the right tools helped immensely. I am NOT gifted in the visual arts department, but now I can make roses, etc., because I have the right things to do so! I mean, I’m not going to win any awards, but I can make a pretty cake.
The whitish residue is the worst – I never had to worry about that when my hair was blonde, but now I can see exactly what I’ll look like when I have grey roots, HA.
I really like the idea of a few longer walks a week. It’s so hard to get those done when it gets so hot here, but maybe I’ll buy one of those neck fans hahahaha.
You make pretty cakes!
Okay, I not-so-secretly want to get a nose piercing for my birthday. Maybe I’ll make that a fun Q3 goal, so I can be cool like you.
DRY SHAMPOO!! I have hair just like yours – dry, oily almost immediately after washing. I am also LAZY and CHEAP and do not like to wash my hair daily. I have some suggestions. ONE! Most important! You use dry shampoo immediately after washing your hair. It is for CLEAN hair. As soon as your hair is dry (regardless if you airdry or blowdry), use dry shampoo. Then use a little bit more every day until you wash again. I can usually stretch to only shampooing every three to four days with this technique.
My favorite is Aveda shampowder. It has a weird application, though. You hold the bottle upright and puff the product at your roots. I have dark roots (despite my greying top, the bottom layer of my hair is pretty dark) and if you massage the powder into your roots, it will not leave a white residue. I also really like Drybar Detox dry shampoo – it does a great job of keeping the oil at bay. Unfortunately, my husband HATES the smell of the Drybar, so that’s something to consider. Drybar has a lot of different formulations of dry shampoo, but I’ve only ever used the original. Again, you really have to massage the dry shampoo into your roots, but the white residue will go away.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is super helpful information. I think I remember my hairstylist telling me not to wait until it gets oily to use dry shampoo, but did I listen? NOPE. I’m going to try your suggestions and see if they work for me. Good to know that you like the Aveda product – my hairstylist used it on me once and I could tell the difference pretty quickly! I appreciate you!
This sounds like such a nice mix of fun and “adulting must do” goals.
About dry shampoo- I have hair similar to yours and I’ve found any aerosol one doesn’t work as well as powder ones. I also put in powder dry shampoo the night before the day I will need it so it has lots of time to do its work. The best one I’ve found is at Sephora in Canada so hopefully you can also find it: Briogeo
Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo.
Keep us posted!
Thank you, Susan! This is super helpful – I am such a rookie when it comes to using dry shampoo properly. I’ll have to see if my Sephora has those products. I know they carry Briogeo and Biotin so they SHOULD have them, but in any event, adding these recs to my arsenal of dry shampoo to try!
I’ve never found a good dry shampoo. Sigh. Let me know if you find one.
Reading nooks are so fun; you have such great taste, so I can’t wait to see what you come up with. My daughter rearranged her room two days before Christmas and created the most darling little reading nook *heart eyes*
I’ve gotten some good recs in this post, so I’ll let you know if any of them actually work for my hair! It would be amazing to go more than 1-2 days between washing.
I haven’t found a great dry shampoo either. Please report back! My issue is that I feel like my hair kind of smells on the 3rd day? I think/hope it’s only noticeable to me. But it makes me wonder how people go 3-4 days or more without washing. I generally can only go 2 days. Then the smell starts to get to me or I get so many “fly aways” that are very noticeable on zoom. I did go 3 days this week because I knew i was working out in the afternoon of the 3rd day and I did not want to waste washing and blow drying my hair on a day when it would be gross like 8 hours later.
I cannot back into parking spaces and I never will be able to. It is just not a skill I have. You know who is great at backing into spaces? Amber from Canada – and our friend Leigh. I don’t know if it’s something that is taught or comes naturally to Canadians or what. Amber backed our rental car into the tightest space in the parking garage of our VRBO. I was so impressed. I would surely do damage to our car if I did this (confession, I already did do damage to our Rav4 – in a parking garage when I was backing up! Gulp.). I really seem to lack spatial awareness and I don’t think this is something that can be solved.
Haha that’s funny, I’m also Canadian and I’m also a pro at backing out into parkings, I do it every day when driving our big pickup truck!
And even when driving an older car that doesn’t have a camera. 😀
Oh, that’s interesting! I don’t think I’ve ever noticed my hair smelling. Mostly, it gets so greasy that it can stand on its own and that’s when I just feel so gross and have to shower right away. I think dry shampoo helps with the smell, maybe, because it usually has a scent. But now I need to pay attention to find out if it’s smelly, too. I’d like to get to a point where I’m washing my hair twice a week, rather than the 4-5 times I do now. Oof.
I have never used dry shampoo! My hair is also fine, but curly, and once it’s oily I feel like my only option is to start the whole thing over? I’m definitely going to look into some of the products being shouted out in the comments.
I am so inspired by the connections goal. I am trying to get myself back out there with my friend groups and adventures and it’s so overwhelming – but, I might put some structure around it until I get back into the swing of it all!
It can be so overwhelming to get back in the swing of things with connecting with people! It takes effort and energy, and sometimes a little rejection which never feels good. I think having a structure helps a lot! I hope we both are able to get what we need from our connection goals this year!
For me, having the right walking shoes makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Also, on vacation, taking breaks. When my cousin and I went to France a couple of years ago, we walked 8-12 miles a day, and broke it up a lot with museums, restaurants, etc. But for a 3 mile walk around your neighborhood, I think you might want to explore the right shoes. I don’t know if they have them there, but here there is a place called Roadrunner Sports, and they will put you on a computerized treadmill and it shows how evenly you walk, your gait, etc. Then they can recommend what shoes will be best for you. I have arthritis in my feet, and the wrong shoes have my feet hurting by the time I get to the parking lot of my condo complex. The right shoes, I can walk miles and miles.
I used to have a standing desk and I loved it, but then the arthritis hit. BAH! I used to plan using it, like, standing for computer work, sitting for meetings or things when I needed pen and paper, whatever. Find what works for you. And maybe a standing desk isn’t the best fit for you. Maybe you would get more out of setting a timer for yourself to get up and walk around the house every 30 – 45 minutes. I know if I sit still too long, my back starts to hurt. (I’m a lot older than you, so take a lot of what I say with a grain of salt!)
I definitely need to replace my shoes! I think that would help a lot. But I also think I just don’t have the stamina for walking, which doesn’t feel good. But all I can do is build it up again!
I love the idea of walking around but my apartment is pretty small, haha, so it would take me about a minute to circuit the whole thing. That’s why I chose a standing desk. I’m just being lazy about using it, and I think making it a concrete goal will really help!
Oh, I love your new list. I think I might use it as an inspiration to write my own this year. And I really should take a book out of your “home decoration” page…. because I seriously want to do more with our duplex (I just don’t have a lot of space/wiggle room).
My favorite dry shampoo is the “tinted” one from Batiste. It’s great for dark hair. I should use it more often (currently, I am often so soaked after a workout that my hair is as wet as it is when I shower… so I usually just wash it when I get in the shower, ha.)
Start looking up decor/organization ideas for small spaces! There is so much online – when I was in my tiny 575-square-foot apartment, I lived for unique storage ideas to keep things organized. It takes some inventiveness, but it totally can be done. <3
I’m going to copy J a little and say, make sure you have good walking shoes! If you’re not really sure about yours, you could go to a running shoe store and explain what you want (don’t worry, they sell shoes to walkers too!) It might make a big difference.
I hope you like the Agatha Christies! I LOVED them in high school, college, and my 20s- then I read them all so had to stop. Now when I re-read them they seem really dated. In general, stick to the ones with Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple- those are the best. And my very favorite on was Death on the Nile- but again, I read it as a teenager and haven’t re-read it since.
I know someone who’s going to the Dolphins game tomorrow. Actually their whole family is going (do you know how expensive that is???) We must be positive and hope for the best! They COULD win!
I’m worried about the Agatha Christie novels feeling dated. I will report back on how they work (or don’t work!) for me.
Great list! And I love that connection is your focus.
Your backing into a parking spot one cracked me up. I never do this either and nearly everyone at my gym does. I am honestly not awake enough when I get there to back into a spot in the dark – I’d rather focus on backing out when it’s time to leave. All that being said, you can totally do this!
Jamie recommended a dry shampoo in an email once and she brought it up again this week but I cannot remember the name! I thought I actually bought it, but when I looked at the one I had, it had a different name than what she said. So no idea where I got that rec from.
I’m actually using the dry shampoo that Jamie recommended! So far, it’s not the magic bullet but I’m going to use it up and then probably move on to something else.
Back to tell you that my daughter loves ‘Living Proof’ dry shampoo. She washes her hair before bed, and uses the dry shampoo in the morning, to give her hair more oomph. It’s an aerosol.
I’ve heard good things about Living Proof!
I definitely can’t back into a parking spot – but my overconfident white Husband does it all the time, even before he had a back up camera! I don’t have a back up camera and I’m a little nervous about doing it myself.
I love Agatha Christie novels. My favorite on is A Murder is Announced (Though And Then There Were None – so creepy, so good! – and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd are also classics).
What a great list for 2024!
Ooh, I’m adding A Murder Is Announced and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to my list of Agatha Christie books to read this year. Thank you!
What great set of goals. So many fun things and a great mixture with some more adulting goals. I had no idea there were workbooks existing about what needs to happen when I die. I have to research more into that area. It is one of those goals on my list I keep pushing. But I know I should sit down and do it.
I also want to do a gallery wall. It’s gonna be above my desk. I have no clear concept yet but I think the main color athletic will be bluish white. It will be interesting see how yours turns out.
Also, serious question: you have a number of home improvement projects but at the dame time want to move? Do you plan those projects in your current home? And what happens if you finish them and then move a few weeks later? I always keep myself from doing those projects when I am not sure I stay for a number of years. I know it is mostly a stupid behavior but I can’t shake it. So all ears here.
Most of these home improvement projects can be moved over to a new apartment (gallery wall, reading nook, etc) and some of them are immediate improvements I can make now that will make my life a lot easier. My lease isn’t up until November so I still have a long time here, and I don’t want to wait to make changes on the off-chance that I might move. I may not, and then I went another full year with a kitchen that isn’t functional for me.
Ok that does make sense and November is a long time better have a functioning kitchen.
I am so envious of your skill (and interest) in making your home your own. I just stink at decorating, choosing furniture, etc. This leads to what I like to call Improvement Inertia. I could use some more Stephany influence in my life, so please, CONNECT! 🙂 (You know I’ll be here, leaving my super-late comments, and loving what you write…)
I am also envious of how comfortable you are with yourself. Tattoos. Nose piercings. Knowing who you are and what you will and will not do. You are so clear on your interests, your focus, and your boundaries – I need to be more like you and less… hm. Well, the only word that comes to mind right now is “rigid”. Gee, that makes me sound like a ton of fun, doesn’t it? 😉
Anyway, my friend, I can’t wait to read along with your adventures this year as you achieve your goals and live your life. <3
This was such a sweet comment. You really made me smile! Thank you so much. <3
I've already volunteered myself to go to Engie's to declutter her totes, so maybe I'll take a stop at your place next to help with decorating. 😉