I love change. When the New Year approaches I feel excited to tackle all manner of goals, but I don’t make a New Year resolution. I simply decide what I want to accomplish during the coming year. I realize I posted about this recently, but change is on my mind.
Level 59
In 2024 I will hit level 59, as I like to think of my age. This coming year I plan to get my health in good order, earn money, write another non-fiction book, and finish the novel I started in November when I participated in the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge. I also plan to do a lot of hiking.
Goals
Normally my “level” challenge falls into several categories. I like to plan for the following goal areas-
· Relationship
· Health
· Educational
· Financial
· Creative
· Mental health
I then sort out what I want in each area with a spreadsheet, because I’m a nerd. I have spreadsheets that go back ages and while I don’t always accomplish all I set out to do, I like the idea of having a plan.
Plan
In 2024 my plan for my relationships is to be a better listener and to proactively reach out to my loved ones on a more regular basis. I find as I level up, time flies. I lose track of how long it’s been since I last chatted with someone and that’s sad. I can and will do better in the coming year.
Relationships
My relationship with my spouse is amazing. We get along really well and have similar values. My hope is to spend quality time hiking with him over the coming year. He just retired so he wants to hike two times per week, however, I imagine it will actually be less than that, because we get tired, and the weather isn’t always great in the Pacific Northwest. Sometimes getting me to stop working or make an adjustment in my work schedule is hard for me. I like routine a lot. My hope is that due to our work schedules, we can hike midweek, which allows for less populated trails, which I love.
When we hike we chat about everything. Whatever pops into my head or his head gets chatted about. Most often it’s about our goals, our ideas about travel, what we are working on or plan to work on, and how it’s organized. What we want for our education in the coming year. What we learned about investments that we should look into more. What we will have for dinner. How we got a great photo, or how much we love our cat, or how we feel about certain people in our life, what we want for our kids or grandkids. No topic is left un-conversed.
Health
My health goal is to become stronger by lifting weights. I really dislike lifting weights so it will be a challenge to be consistent. I can see how much strength I’ve lost over the years, and even though I have participated in some physical challenges I’m finding that I must now add in lifting weights if I want to have a positive outcome. I will also challenge myself to eat mainly plants, drink little alcohol, to walk, hike, or do another form of cardio regularly. These goals are lofty and if it goes as it has over the past twenty years or more I will likely stick with the cardio because it’s easy and I enjoy it, whereas the weight lifting will be hit and miss.
I prioritize health because I never want to be in debt due to medical bills. I also saw my parent’s health deteriorate after they stopped working to the point that eventually my mother was in a wheelchair due to severe osteoporosis. My sister recently was diagnosed with osteoporosis and I was diagnosed with osteopinia, the precursor to osteoporosis. Weight lifting should help with this as well as hiking and walking. My aim is to avoid osteoporosis because I don’t want to fall and break my hip, which happens to older folks all the time. First, they fall, and then they get pneumonia. It’s a scary cycle.
Education
I want to learn Python coding this year, and marketing. Both are really hard for me so it may take all year to get even a little proficient. Fortunately, I only have to learn a simple program in Python so I can automate editing the writing I complete. In 2023 I wrote about 100,000 words with no problem whatsoever, but the editing is a challenge I’d like to streamline. Marketing is really hard. I’ve considered hiring someone to help me, but I don’t understand all the terminology. I fear I will get into something without having a good understanding of how it works, and I’ll waste time and money when I hire someone, so I must learn.
At level 59 learning new things is more challenging than it was when I was at level 30 for example. But I have the benefit of time, and the program I need is specific to my editing needs, I don’t have to learn how to program everything in Python so that should make it more achievable. After all, I did learn a few ChatGPT prompts that has helped me with some backend actions I need to take when posting blogs, YouTube videos, or podcasting.
When I decide to learn anything I turn to YouTube first. I’ve learned a lot from the content on YouTube so it’s my first choice. My second choice will be Udemy or Coursera. Fingers crossed it will all workout.
Finances
My financial goal is tied to my marketing education. Ultimately I want to earn as a writer. Fortunately, I’m not tied to a strict date when I must start earning, I figure it will take about ten years to have a solid income stream from writing and I’m prepared financially to allow the time to pass without fear of becoming fully destitute. When speaking with a marketing expert, I need to understand well what they will propose, and the language of marketing. I’ve searched for book marketing experts, and honestly, I have no idea what they’re offering because I’m not skilled at the terminology. I will learn this in the coming year so I can hire help.
Creativity
I’m unsure of what I will do creatively this year. I’ve been creating backgrounds for my social media posts using a drawing pad attached to my computer. I need more so I can have variety in my posts. That will be on my calendar for the coming year. I enjoy watercolor painting, and I enjoy embroidery.
Today when eating lunch I recognized that I enjoy using creative approaches to meal planning. For example, if I happen to have a bit of leftover items in my refrigerator I can use them as an addition to a meal. Recently I had leftover butternut squash; I used it in a delightful pasta dish. I had a few mushrooms that went unused in a soup I made earlier. I used them as an addition to plant-based tacos. No matter what I have in my cupboard or refrigerator, I’ll find a way to use it; I dislike food waste and endeavor to always use everything I buy. Most of the time I nail it. I consider cooking a creative activity.
Mental Health
My mental health took a bad turn during COVID-19, like many of us, and then for the past two years, I’ve been struggling with increasingly challenging anxiety. This led me to start antidepressants a couple of months ago. I aim to stop taking the antidepressants because I don’t like how they make me feel, even though they have helped with my anxiety. It seems counterintuitive, and I know it may not make sense, but I dislike medication and I want to take as few medications as possible. If it turns out that I must take antidepressants, I’ll know and start taking them again. But since I made it to level 58 having only used antidepressants once before in my life for about a year when I was level 45, I think I’m a good candidate for a short-term use of around six months to a year.
2024 is happening, and soon. What areas of your life do you feel need focused attention in the coming year? Will you make a plan to address those areas of your life, or will you allow the challenges you’re having to work themselves out? I’ve found that almost all challenges simply fix themselves if you wait long enough, but because I’m a control freak, I rarely allow things to unfold. I love to have a plan and that is how I will conduct myself in 2024 when I reach level 59.
If you need help focusing on a plan for your life buy my book, “Your Future Self: A Time Travelers Manifestation Workbook for Intentional Well Being”
