Before You Go
See you next year jokes coming in 3...2..1...
It’s the final day of 2023 and what a year it has been! I was telling my friends that somehow it feels so rushed — my brain is still in October. I know many people feel this way, but what can we do if the wheels of time propel us forward, if not to move along with it? 2023 is almost over, and 2024 is walking in.
I have thoroughly enjoyed spending the last couple of days reflecting, reviewing, and planning for the next year. I even wrote a lengthy ass review about 2023 that you guys should check out. In it, I talk about the year and some lessons I learned.
In my planning for the coming year, I have noticed that a couple of things have changed from previous years. For one, my approach to planning the year is less enthusiastic, but more practical than it was last year.
At work we plan our projects based on the quarters of the year, and I am carrying this into my personal life in 2024.
What do I mean by this? Let me paint a scenario for you.
2024 is a very pivotal year for me. It’s the year I finish school, which God willing would happen in July. Some of my goals can only be executed when I am done with school, so planning on a quarterly basis allows me to:
Get down and dirty with the nitty-gritty details of my life.
Make detailed and specific goals depending on my capacity at each quarter of the year.
Move with a sense of urgency in achieving my goals (eg. completing a book in 2024 does not inspire as much urgency as completing a book in Q3 of 2024).
Protect myself from the disappointment of not being able to achieve lofty dreams that may not be realistic given the circumstances.
I am telling you guys this in case like me, you think this approach might help you plan better. All you have to do is divide your year into four quadrants, and set specific goals you would like to achieve in each of them. It also helps me when I delineate my goals based on the different areas of life. For Q1 and 2, I’m working with seven: Personal Growth, Self-Care, Career/Business, Relationships, School, and Content Creation. You can amend and adjust however works for you.
In case you haven’t even started reviewing your year, or you need a guideline, a friend of mine has created a template that can help you review and plan for the next year. You can access it here.
2024 is starting on a Monday, and that unnerves me a bit. Feels like it is gearing up to a very serious year, but I want you guys to know that it is okay to take things slow. Remember that whenever you wake up is your morning.
In 2023 I was really focused on moving as fast as I could and being a hundred people to a hundred people. I think this is why burnout was constantly staring me in the face, and eventually gave me a lirru kiss. (Actually, it was very very passionate, and wet and warm and sloppy—but I digress). In 2024 I want to be more grounded. I want to be one person only. One person at a time. I will be living for me next year. I will take my time, and cook my little meals, and draw, and spend time alone, doing nothing.
I am very excited to do all that.
Of course, I will also do mad shit, too. So stay tuned.
Love you guys,
See you next year ; )
Some EOTY Reviews to Read
2023 in 2,023 words by Babavin: This made me laugh so much, and Babavin is such a talent, my God!
“My New Year Resolution is to Lose my Fear of Cringe” by Oluchukwu: Because this is my new year’s resolution, too.
Tend to your Boat by Wetalu Obi: It serves as a good reminder.
Seeking Clarity by Mileke Kolawole: I’m just proud of the boy.