2024 Goals
Setting goals for a new year is always a delicate balance. On one hand, I want to challenge myself, but on the other, I need to be realistic. Striking that balance can be tricky, but it's essential for meaningful progress. As I looked to 2024, I found myself in familiar territory, discussing my goals with friends and family. Their reactions were unanimous: "Are you being too ambitious? Are you setting yourself up for failure?" Taking their feedback to heart, I made some adjustments and now feel confident that my goals for the year are ambitious and achievable.
My inspiration for this year's goals came from an Instagram post by Jesse Itzler. He suggested a simple yet powerful framework:
Do one year-defining thing.
Six times a year, do something new or have mini-adventures.
Establish a new winning habit every quarter.
I loved this idea and decided to adopt it as my guide for 2024. Here's how I'm planning to put it into action:
Year-Defining Goal: Writing a Novel
My grand ambition for 2024 is to finally write a novel. This dream has been brewing for years, but I struggled to find the right story to tell. Also, I wasn't sure I was even capable of doing it--but 2023 taught me how to add more discipline to my life, and now I want to apply that same skill to writing.
Roman Forum © Krista Boivie, 2023
Fortuitously, during a visit to Rome in October, inspiration struck. Our guide mentioned the Vestal virgins, and suddenly, everything clicked – my protagonist would be a Vestal virgin. Since that moment, I've been crafting my characters and outlining the story. It's a light historical fantasy inspired by the Roman Empire, and I'm excited to bring it to life. My brother Scott has been an incredible source of support, offering valuable insights as I navigate the unfamiliar terrain of fantasy writing. My goal is to write 300,000 words by September 1st. I do not know if that is too many or too few words, but I had to set a target. I am less concerned with the overall word count and more focused on completing the story.
I was planning to wait until today to begin writing, but after watching this video on "trying," I decided during my break from work this past week to stop the prework and dive in. I'm about 10,000 words in and feeling good about the direction. However, I've temporarily paused writing to ensure my subplots and characters are fully developed, as I want to keep the core of my story strong. It's easy to get caught up in exciting plot points, but they must drive my protagonist's actions to make the cut.
Mini-Adventures
I've planned six mini-adventures for 2024 to balance out the intense writing sessions. Four of these are already set in stone – trips to Las Vegas, New York, Austin, and Germany for concerts and Broadway shows. The remaining two are deliberately left open-ended, allowing me to seize unexpected opportunities as the year unfolds. I'm also open to ideas if anyone has suggestions!
Trying New Things
Wanting to add a little fun to my yearly goals and inspired by my love for "The Great British Baking Show," I've committed to mastering six different baking skills in 2024 (a new one every couple of months):
Choux Dough (for eclairs, chouquettes, and gougères)
Merveilleux (to perfect my meringue skills)
Cakes (to explore different fillings, styles, and frostings)
Entremet (I’ve never even eaten one, but they look delicious)
Sourdough bread (finally jumping on the Covid-19 skill of creating my own sourdough starter)
Baguettes & Croissants (ending the year with classic French breads)
Establishing Winning Habits
Finally, I've set my sights on establishing four winning habits throughout the year, one for each quarter. With a theme of self-discipline in mind, I aim to create more structure and organization to support my writing:
Mastering my morning routine (comprising exercise, writing, scripture study, and meditation--this means I will be getting up even earlier each day to squeeze more in when my brain is alert)
Mastering my evening routine (focusing on self-care, stretching/mobility, and relaxation)
Eliminating complaining
Daily gratitude practice
As I embark on this journey into 2024, I'm filled with excitement and determination. Here's to a year of discipline, growth, creativity, and self-discovery!
What are your plans for 2024?
