Welcome back, fellow adventurers. As we dive headfirst into a new year, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement and anticipation for the possibilities that await.
2024 is poised to be a year of growth, new experiences, and thrilling challenges. To kick things off, I thought it’d be fun to publish a list of 24 goals and projects I’m aiming to tackle in 2024. I’ll come back occasionally and cross them off the list as they’re completed.
In no particular order:
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Average Reading 25 Pages Per Day: Rather than set a book goal, I think it’s more reasonable to set a page target. The point is, I want to set a pace and consistently keep up with my reading list.
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Maintain My Personal Financial System: Continue consistently tracking and improve the financial tracking system I developed in 2023. -
Buy a House: Since I’ve improved my financial position, I’m now looking to buy my first home. I want to close and move in by the end of spring.
February Update: Starting off strong here. I closed on my home at the beginning of the month. Check! -
Visit Three New Places: Satiate my travel bug by exploring three new destinations. -
Conquer a Challenging Hiking Trail: Take on a demanding hiking trail to test my physical and mental endurance.
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Learn Fly Fishing: Embark on a new outdoor adventure by learning the art of fly fishing.
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Complete a New Hardware Project: Hone my tech skills and learn a new technology. I’m particularly interested in the Raspberry Pi Pico W and Circuit Python.
I’m going to count my Homelab setup for this one, since it consisted of learning new tech I haven’t worked with before. -
Complete a DIY Home Improvement Project: Channel my inner handyman and take on a DIY home improvement project in my soon-to-be first house.
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Complete a Leatherworking Project: I came into some leatherworking tools recently. I want to learn the basics of leathercraft and complete a basic project.
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Explore a National Park: Discover the natural wonders of a new national park and revel in the beauty of the great outdoors.
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Publish 52 Blog Posts: Be consistent about publishing thoughts and interesting stuff here on the site.
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Learn the Basics of a New Language: Challenge myself by picking up the basics of a new language. Being in South Louisiana I grew up learning French, so now I’m targeting Spanish. -
Take a Cooking Class: Expand my culinary skills by enrolling in a cooking class and mastering a new cuisine.
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Cycle Over 1500 Miles: In 2023 I developed a cycling practice as my primary exercise (I broke 1000 miles!). This year, I want to develop that habit and increase my stamina and distance.
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Attain My Goal Weight: Continue getting back into shape and reach my goal weight this year. (I’m already over halfway there)
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Track and Improve Nutrition: Related to the previous goal, I want to prep and cook using more whole foods and avoid processed and fast foods.
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Plan a Solo Backpacking Trip: Embark on a solo backpacking adventure to embrace self-discovery and solitude in nature.
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Become a Master Naturalist: Bolster my knowledge of the natural world and local ecosystem by becoming a certified Master Naturalist.
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Take a Philosophy Course: Most of my personal reading these days leans toward philosophy, so I want to take a more formal course to build a proper foundation in the discipline. -
Start a Research Project: Channel my interest in learning and research into a personal project that fuels curiosity and knowledge. -
Practice Mindfulness Daily: Incorporate daily mindfulness practices to enhance well-being and reduce stress. Even for a few minutes per day. -
Perform a Digital Detox: Take a fortnight completely unplugged and detached from the digital world.
I highly recommend doing this, and often. -
Spend a Day Volunteering: Always a good way to give back to the community. -
Celebrate Achievements with a Memorable Trip: Cap off the year by celebrating my accomplishments with a memorable and well-deserved trip.
Here’s to a year filled with exciting new experiences and the joy of crossing off each goal from the list.
How do you plan to challenge yourself for this year?