January 2024 Goals

Happy Monday and Happy New Year! 2023 flew by and was a wild ride. The beginning of the year was great and full of pleasant surprises. The last half of the year was a rough ride. Work had me very busy and, at times, really stressed out, but I'm proud that I was able to hang on and overcome many challenges. However, my personal life has been great, and I'm so grateful for that. My family and I celebrated so many milestones, and we're excited to celebrate a few more this year.

I spent the last few days of 2023 reflecting on the year and thinking about what I want in 2024. I have a new word for the year, but I'm not ready to share that yet. I'm still savoring it and thinking about how to incorporate my word in all parts of my life. 

Last month, I had some goals that I was hoping to accomplish. I made sure to make only a few goals and gave myself grace if I didn't complete any. Let's be honest; December is a very busy month, and I already knew there would be a few stressful days here and there. I'm honestly surprised that I still remembered my goals. There were a few goals that I didn't accomplish and a few things that I didn't have a chance to get started on, but I'm ok with it. 

With it being a new month and year, I set some new goals. So, let's check them out and how I did with my goals in December.

Recap of December Goals

• Read and review 1 book I received from NetGalley: I read fewer books than I usually would in a month. However, I did read 15 books in December. I read Instructions for Traveling West by Joy Sullivan. This was such a great read. If you're looking for a good collection of poems, I'd highly recommend Joy's book. I also read Earning Independence by P.J. Crescent. It was not at all what I was expecting, but I did finish reading it.

• Read 1 holiday-themed book: I read multiple holiday-themed books like Kat Baxter's Grumpy Santa. I'm still reading a few more holiday-themed books and short story collections, so I'll be sure to mention those soon or post a couple of reviews.

• Complete Liz's December - Five Things ecourse: I didn't complete this challenge, but I was able to work on a few prompts. I plan to incorporate the prompts into my December Daily (I should call it a December Daily-ish).

• Work on my December Daily: I did work on my December Daily album, but I still need to complete it. I have to order my photos and add some journaling, but it was so helpful and fun to prep the pages.

• Make sure to rest and practice self-care: I definitely did this. I read some good books, went for a lot of walks, and treated myself to some seasonal baked goods and drinks. 

• Watch a new (or new-to-me) movie: I watched The Meg and Meg 2: The Trench. The Meg 2 started off incredibly chaotic, but I just couldn't stop watching. I also watched American Symphony, which I absolutely enjoyed. There were times when I laughed and times when I cried. 

• Try a Winter Simmer Pot recipe: I meant to try a simmer pot on the first day of winter but didn't have a chance to try it. It's still winter, so I'll have to remember to make one soon.

January Goals

• Read 2 books

• Complete my 2023 December Daily

• Work on my Project Life album

• Watch a new (or new-to-me) movie or TV series

• Journal at least once a week

• Work on at least one creative project a week (i.e., scrapbook layout, project life layout, art journal, etc.)

• Participate in Exhale's January blog hop

• Try 1 new recipe

What are your goals for January? How did you do in December?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash