24 "things" I'm taking with me into 2024
A collection of ramblings, thoughts, ideas, quotes, questions ...
Hello you lovely lot
As we are now well into the first month of the new year, I thought now would be as good a time as any to share with you some “things” (24 to be exact!) I’ve had whirring around my brain as we enter 2024. I have of course a lot more than 24 things in my brain at any one time but these were the ones that came to me, the ones that I keep coming back to and the ones then that I wanted to share with you.
And let’s be honest, it’s 2024 so, you know, 24 things sounded right….
I noticed when I was putting this list together an emergence of themes, particularly around my seemingly never-ending battle between the present and the future and also my desire to go against the grain and to live my life the way I want to live it. I’d be interested to know if any of my “things” resonate with you. And perhaps whilst you’re perusing my collection of ramblings below, you’re inspired to think of your own “thing” you’re taking with you into 2024. If you do, I would love to hear it.
Join me in the comments below! 💜
We win or we learn
My husband said this to me, he’d heard it somewhere, and when he said it, I remember asking him to repeat it. It’s just so great and so true, a positive spin on the ‘win or lose’ mentality. With every loss or failure or negative event, comes an opportunity to learn, and it must absolutely be taken as otherwise how can we grow?
The power of redefining your success
I’ve been on a journey with this over the past couple of years and I know that journey is going to continue long into 2024 and beyond. The old school metrics of success are changing and I’m here for it. The power in being able to decide exactly what success looks like to you as opposed to following along with the version of success set out by others, is completely freeing.
Failure over regret
I used to have this creeping fear when it came to failure, and I’ve been told multiple times in the past that I need to get comfortable with failure. I had (and sometimes still have!) such a chip on my shoulder, along with this incessant need to prove myself, that failure was never an option to me. But that’s changing. And now I would rather do something and fail then have regrets about not doing the thing.
Nature is fabulous
If I’m having a bad day, I can pretty much turn it around by stepping outside. I can also notice when I haven’t been able to venture out for either a run or a walk, my mind and body becoming jittery, like a ball left bouncing unattended, waiting to be caught. We are lucky right now to be living on the edges of the Yorkshire Dales with nature a stone’s throw away from our back door making getting outdoors much easier.
Multiple things can exist at once
Life can be hard and life can be beautiful. I can feel happy and sad at the same time. I can feel tired and invigorated all at once. I can be firm on a decision but also respect other peoples decisions. What I’m trying to say is that, not everything has to be binary. Sometimes I can feel like a walking contradiction but I believe that we can feel all kinds of things all of the time and we can see the world through multiple viewpoints.
My constant battle with balancing expectation with reality
I wrote about this last year, specifically about how my expectations of travelling in a camper van didn’t meet my reality. I’ve since attempted to temper my expectations but now I get concerned that my fear of reality not meeting my expectations means my expectations are lowered as a way to protect myself from being let down or under-whelmed. I think expectations are important as they can assist with setting goals for the future or with visions for how we want our life to be. I know I still need to find a better balance with this. If anyone has any advice I would love to hear from you!
Sitting on the fence gives a pretty good view
I was trying to think if there was anything I have a polarised view on and I couldn’t put my finger on anything at the time (but I’m pretty sure there will be something). We seem however to live in a world where everything is so polarised and where you can’t happily sit in the middle, admiring the view on both sides. I actually quite enjoy sitting on the fence, of parking myself somewhere in the middle between two view points. I think there are so many sides to everything, so many nuances. Maybe I’m just not a staunch believer in anything enough to commit to taking a side. Maybe I want to see everything from every viewpoint. Maybe it’s something I need to continue to explore.
Be curious and ask questions. A growth mindset is key.
I think this ties in with the above, particularly in a world where we are presented with so many views and opinions and so-called social media experts. I think it pays to be a critical thinker, to not necessarily take things on face value, to seek answers and to be curious.
Live your life by design, not by default
I wrote about this at the end of this post recently … “In other words, don’t live your life in a way that you think it should be lived and instead create the life you’ve always wanted to live. I think this is a powerful phrase, a reminder that we all have the power to design our own path in life and to not do something because that is what is expected or that’s how it’s normally done.” I love this phrase, a phrase I can use to embody exactly how I want to live by. Maybe it will become my phrase of the year?!
Nobody cares
Ok so I know this sounds harsh and when I first heard this, I thought it was harsh too. What do you mean, nobody cares? Of course people care. Well, yes they do, but not to the point where you should live your life for them. In other words, don’t let what people may think about you prevent you from living your life. They are more than likely too wrapped up in their own lives to worry about what you’re doing anyway.
Writing is my therapy and reading is my meditation
I write to release the thoughts within me. I read to take my mind away to another world for a while. I honestly can’t imagine my life without either of these, and for me, they slot nicely together: the perfect duo.
Nothing lasts forever
I tell myself this when I’m ill or when I'm injured, when life is particularly challenging or when I’m just having a bad day. That illness or injury or bad day or challenging period, won’t last forever and you will get through it. It also reminds me, on the flip side, to appreciate things that are happening right now because they won’t last forever.
Comparison is wasted effort. As is jealousy.
We’re all guilty of this, right? I have moments of comparison despair or fits of jealousy. It’s not easy to stop having those feelings, especially in our social media-driven world. I know it’s a wasted effort but how do you stop the cycle? I know stopping scrolling would be a start but then I find it so hard to remove myself from social media. Help!
If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough
An oldie but a goodie! I remind myself of this when I become overwhelmed from thinking of what my future holds. I have dreams that absolutely scare me, and where that fear of failure still lurks in the background. I suppose the dreaming is the easy part, with the turning of the dream into a reality the scary part. But if we went through life only ever doing things within the easiness of our comfort zone, how do we grow?
There is no destination
I’m forever guilty of focusing on getting somewhere: “If I get to this place, I’ll be happier” or “If I can just make it here, my life will be perfect”. And I do this so much so that I forget to notice or enjoy the journey that I’m going on to get there. I’m the kind of person who will never reach a destination as I’m always searching for that next thing but when I’m searching for that next thing, I need to remember to enjoy the thing that I’m currently doing.
“If you want to be average, do what everyone else does”
I love this! It was a guy called Alex Hormozi who said this on an episode of the Modern Wisdom podcast with Chris Williamson. I think of it in the same way as zigging when everyone else is zagging. We can all conform and we can all do what everyone else does but what happens if you step one toe out and go off on your own, doing your own thing? What happens if you strive to be above average?
How do I balance between living in the moment and planning for the future?
I find myself in a constant flux between wanting to relish in the here and now and also planning what I want my future to look like. I don’t want to relinquish my quest on the future so much so that I lose focus on my bigger goals but I also don’t want those future goals to have such a hold over me that I forget to live in the moment. It’s a constant balance and something I think I will be forever working on.
Travelling by vehicle is a great way to see the world
Honestly, the travelling my husband and I have just done has provided me with so much perspective. I joke at times that I feel like a new woman and whilst that might sound corny and perhaps unbelievable, I can feel in my bones the effect this time has had on me. And we travelled to 19 countries so, yes, it was a great way to see the world and it hopefully will be the first of many trips to come.
Let’s not forget about the “Let Them” Theory
I wrote about this last year which you can go back and read here. I still stand by this theory and continually try to practise it in daily life. Have you ever over-thought what others are doing or have certain expectations of others that for whatever reason they can never hit, never mind exceed? And what if you could say two little words to yourself which could diffuse these thoughts within your brain? If that sounds like you, then learning about the “let them” theory is a must!
Ignorance can be bliss but knowledge really is power
I used to open the BBC News app on my phone every day. And do you know what it did to me? It filled me with anxiety, dread, numbness, and it really wasn’t healthy. I deleted the app whilst we were travelling and I found out then that ignorance can really be bliss. But I still hold the belief that knowledge is power, particularly if we execute that power in the right way.
Nobody else is to blame. Take responsibility.
I’ve been thinking more about ownership recently and taking responsibility for my own actions. I’m learning that nobody but me can decide on the path my life is going to take. If I make a bad decision or go down the wrong path, that’s of my own making. If I want to do good in my life, to achieve something, only I can be responsible for making sure that happens.
Labels can be restricting
Labels come up a lot in my writing, and perhaps one day I will write something dedicated purely to this topic, but for now I want to remember in 2024 that labels can be restricting and that I don’t have to be defined by a word or a set of words.
Being grateful doesn’t mean you are any less ambitious
The importance of practising gratitude couldn’t be any clearer in terms of the benefits for mental health, and I’m huge advocate for it. But I sometimes wonder that if I spend so much time focusing on gratitude of the past or the present, that I will lose one eye on my future ambitions. I believe that both can exist in parallel and it’s about spreading your thoughts between the two. I know some people never look back and maybe that’s one way of combatting it but I enjoy looking back and seeing where I’ve been and how I’ve arrived at the place I’m at today. With much of these “things”, it’s all about balance, right?!
Give it your best shot
We really do only get one shot at this thing called life so why not give it your best shot?
There is so much to love, reflect on and be guided by in this fabulous post, Lyndsay - thank you so much for sharing such brilliant insights, learning, thoughts and intentions.
Awesome! 🙌
Much love as always x