As I take time out of a busy life, I find that there’s an undeniable sense of anticipation from me as I consider my ambitions and dreams for the year ahead. 2024 holds within its grasp the potential for growth, transformation, and the pursuit of aspirations that resonate deep within my soul.
As I type, I am sunggled up under a heated throw in Sid (my campervan) amidst the wild Storm Gerrit in the Lake District. I stare at my 2023 life plan and realise that it is probably much better to draw a line in the sand and start again from scratch, rather than updating my old plan. As I stand on the threshold of this uncharted year, I find myself compelled to design a roadmap for the months ahead. It’s more than a mere list; it’s a declaration of intent, a pact with the future self I aim to become. Join me on this journey of self-discovery and purpose as I unveil the aspirations that will guide my footsteps in the tapestry of 2024.
The way I have always constructed my life plan is quite simple and is created around “priority accounts”. Since returning from the PCT in June 2023, my priorities have changed, for both my personal and business life. I am not going to reveal everything that I have written in my plan, but I will share some of the key objectives that I have committed to for 2024. These accounts are in order of priority. (Which makes it easier to say no to some things!).
The focus word for my personal life plan in 2024 is “Believe”.
Account #1 – Self Care
Purpose Statement, My “why”: – I intend to put myself first and look after my mental and physical well-being so that I have the strength and motivation to inspire others.
Specific Commitments:
- I will always put self-care above the needs of anyone else. If something is asked of me that is not in line with my values or if I know that something is not good for me mentally, then I give myself the right to say no.
- Meditation – I will continue the daily meditation routine. I would like to spend more time on this skill as I know how valuable it is for me.
- Yoga – I commit to attending regular yoga sessions from January 2024.
- Journaling – I love the journaling process and will continue to do this each day in 2024.
- Reading – Rather than watching Netflix before I go to sleep, I want to make sure that I am reading a good book each night. Get to bed early as I am always awake early! Your goal is to read at least one “easy reading” style book a month. The reading challenge for Goodreads for 2024 is 24 books. (one easy reading and one self-development / learning book a month).
- Exercise – Spend time outdoors which nurtures your soul, makes you more creative and keeps you physically fit. Remember that being outside is not just your job but it is also for you. Scope walks and weekends away for yourself (with Sid). Solitude is good for you.
- Food – I want to cook more and eat healthier. Experiment with new dishes and don’t be afraid to have a go!
- Alcohol – since the PCT I have been drinking way too much and this needs to stop. In 2024 I will resume my alcohol-free beers as the norm.
- Serenity Prayer. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time. Accepting hardship is a pathway to peace. I love this prayer as it resonates with all that I believe. Read and say the prayer each evening before you write in your journal (habit stacking technique).
Current Reality – Self Care
- 1st Feb – This account is flourishing, which I know is probably due to it being the beginning of the year. Self care is very much top of my agenda. My social life is going well, but so is my “me time”. I’m journaling, meditating, eating better and have read three books this month. I have not missed a week for doing Yoga (mix of Hotpod and regular yoga).
Account 2: Intellectual and personal development
Purpose Statement “my why” – The purpose of this account is to ensure that I have the knowledge and skillset to help others in my chosen fields. These include the great outdoors, mental health, counselling, and business growth.
Specific Commitments:
- Launch your Mental Health First Aid Course and get qualified in mental health awareness.
- Qualify as a counsellor for SHOUT.
- Read at least one self-development / business development book every month. That’s 12 books a year.
- Podcasts! Download some good podcasts to keep you up to date on the latest trends.
- Walk the talk – remember, you can’t teach mental health and well-being if you are not leading the life that you are preaching about.
- Cooking – enhance your cooking skills, Julia! Your goal is to hold a dinner party in 2024.
Current Reality – Intellectual and personal development
- 1st Feb 2024 – I have launched the mental health courses and I am part way through my Mental Health 3 month course. I’ve read David Allen, Getting Things Done and have registered with Simon Sinek’s podcast (and a few hiking ones). The cooking is going well and I have learned how to use an air fryer, cooked Gholash and slow-cooked meals. I know it sounds daft, but I now know how to use cornflour properly without it going lumpy and I have mastered non-lumpy gravy.
Account 3: Happiness
Purpose Statement: My Why – The purpose of this account is to be happy and to have an attitude of gratitude as a natural way of life. To be positive every day and to spread my love for life with my network of family, friends, colleagues and online network.
Specific Commitments:
- Do not embrace anyone who gives you that “icky” feeling. By all means, give people a chance, but go with your gut. If it’s “icky” then give it a wide birth.
- Put a plan in place for your regular Sunday dinners with your family and evenings with friends.
- Get the AG Social group off the ground so that you can enhance your social life and others.
- Make the time for friends that you have not seen in a while and rekindle those relationships in 2024.
- Cook more! Dance more! Laugh more! Smile more!
Current Reality – Happiness account
- 1st February – As I type I have just eaten a Sunday roast at my mums after having numerous social events with AG throughout January. I have made time for friends that I have not seen for a while (Sam & Shirley) and will continue to do so. So far, this account is ticking over nicely. I still need to dance more!
Note: I will not publically post specific commitments for accounts that involve other people.
Account 4: Rachel
Purpose Statement: My Why – The purpose of this account is to be the best mum that I can be until the day that I die. To be there for Rachel during her successes in life, and to hold her hand when things are not going so well. To ensure that I do not take our relationship for granted and that I invest time to listen and offer support.
Account 5: Close Family
Purpose Statement: Family is important and it is easy to let the months and weeks slip by without communication with my mum or my brother. The purpose of this account is to make sure that I show an interest in my close family’s life. To show support and encouragement and to let them know that they are in my thoughts regularly.
Account 6: Friends
Purpose Statement: My purpose for this account is to nurture friendships with just a few close friends. We will support each other through good times and bad and create lots of experiences together for the memory bank. The quote below says it all.
Account 7: Adventure
Purpose Statement: There is a whole world out there and this is something that I feel compelled to explore. I am not talking about your family holidays such as Disneyland, but I want to see different cultures and experience some of the world’s beautiful scenery. Adventure is not just about travel, it’s about exploring new things and new experiences.
Specific Commitments:
- Given that I had two months off work due to the PCT in 2023, this year my adventures will be experienced through the business. I may complete the NC500 in Scotland with Sid, but I have no plans to do any big adventures as a holiday. I need to keep my head down for the next 12-24 months and concentrate on work as a priority which will then fund future adventures.
- I will travel to Romania to watch bears and visit castles in April.
- I will complete the Welsh 15 Peaks – my ultimate challenge for 2024.
- I will make time for solitude and have personal adventures (just me and Sid) in 2024.
- I will experience festivals and meet new friends.
Current Reality – Adventure
- 1st February – If I am honest, the adventure account has not seen much action during January. My silly season kicks off properly in March, but I am looking forward to the Isle of Wight at the beginning of February. My focus is on the business at the moment. (We can’t do it all).
Account 8: Work & Finance
Purpose Statement: My work and financial situation are super important to me. As long as I am being challenged, work does not feel like work and I can afford my monthly outgoings, then all is good in the world. The purpose of this account is to keep me on track and make sure that I do not enter the drift stage and stay debt-free.
Specific Commitments:
- To create a focus word for the business for 2024 – INSPIRE
- TEAM – To get the webpage finalised before my first talk. (done)
- To enhance partnerships with other businesses which will enable me to expand the business in a “smarter, not harder” way. Partnerships include Mental Health providers, Outdoor Adventure Companies, Travel Businesses, Meditation and Yoga retreats and Business Mentoring services, (see AG business plan for details).
- Reignite my business mentoring services – to have a minimum of five client sessions a month by the end of 2024. (I don’t want more than this as my main focus is adventure, but keeping business clients benefits AG as it keeps me updated on marketing trends and the latest developments such as AI etc).
- Walking Club – the local club is my bread and butter but it is also very time-consuming. I can not expand the business into other areas such as Rugby, Milton Keynes etc without having a streamlined system for events, membership, socials, walk leaders, adventure holidays and accounts process. It all needs to be in one place. My goal is to have a new system by the end of quarter one. I can then move to stage two and expand into other areas.
- Customer Service – to implement a new customer service process on Capsule. (done)
- Life Planning – I will launch a series of life planning workshops by the end of quarter one.
- Social Club – I would like to make more of the AG Social Club. As Simon Sinek says, “People don’t remember what you do, they remember how you made them feel.” Sometimes, members become ill and unable to go out for a walk, but they can still go to the cinema or join us for a quiz night. I want to create a business where people feel part of something special, and the social aspect is important.
- Inspiring others – I will present more talks in 2024 that inspire people and educate them on living a better life. I will change my strapline from “Go take a hike” to “Live your best life”. This strapline will be woven into all aspects of my marketing and I will live the concept as well. I will live my best life and that starts now.
- Fundraising for SHOUT. Except for the money raised on my PCT hike, and a few other events I have not put as much effort into fundraising for this awesome charity as I hoped. I plan to have a challenging hike around The Bath Skyline Trail for SHOUT, plus at least one SHOUT awareness walk a month (probably on a Saturday). We will also have another treasure hunt in August as this went down very well in 2022, and we can organise some SHOUT social evenings.
- Wise – Personal finance – I used my WISE account whilst in the US, but have not really used it since. You can have different pots in this account to make it easier to save or put money to one side. By 1st February 2024, I will have sorted out “pots” for Birthdays, Christmas, holiday funds, SID, House repairs, TAX etc.
Current Reality – Work & Finance
- 1st February – my focus word is “inspire” for the business and “believe” for my personal life. All around me I see people who are inspiring me, and I also see people who I believe I have inspired. The relationship has been established with eh first aid company and we are working together. I have also agreed a joint venture with two other different companies to offer challenges for my customers. I fired up at the moment and we have had a record number of new starters who have signed up in January which is a good sign of things to come. New customer service processes have been implemented and I am pleased to say that I have finally sorted out the “jars” for savings in my personal accounts. (I’ve been meaning to do this for ages and it was good to tick it off the list).
Conclusion:
As I conclude this reflection on my goals and aspirations for 2024, I’m reminded of the power of intention and the unwavering belief that propels us forward (if you’ve not read Hal Elrod’s book then I would highly recommend it). The journey ahead may be dotted with challenges and unforeseen twists, but armed with clarity of purpose, I’m ready to navigate the uncharted waters. I am a dreamer, ambitious and hardworking, but also a realist. I am well aware that 2024 is going to be interesting and tough at times but I am ready for whatever life throws at me.
In the words of Pat Knight “Let’s get this shit done!”
I invite you, to embark on your own journey of self-discovery and goal-setting. As we navigate the landscape of 2024, let’s not only chase our dreams but also revel in the process, of finding joy in the pursuit of becoming our best selves.
Thank you for sharing this moment with me. Here’s to a year of growth, resilience, and the fulfilment of our most cherished aspirations.
Signing out for now.
