#28: Reflecting on 2024

Hey friends,

Last week we talked about the importance of finding your “why” before thinking about setting goals.

The 2nd and 3rd newsletters I wrote back in early May were based on 10 tips for goal setting. If you wanna look back on those, here is part 1 with tips 1-4, and here’s part 2 with tips 5-10.

This week I want us to take a look back at 2024 to get an idea of our successes so that we can be more intentional in the coming year.

Weekly Action Point

I want you to pause and think about some goals/intentions for 2025. I talked about setting monthly resolutions in newsletter #26. Monthly resolutions are supposed to be small, specific, and actionable things to help move you in a positive direction.

If you haven’t already, actually write down your January resolution. Jotting it down quick in the notes app on your phone is fine.

In addition, what are some broader goals you have for 2025?

Imagine yourself a year from now looking back on your 2025 as we get ready to head into 2026. What types of things would lead you to think that 2025 was a successful year?

Some examples of broad goals that I had for 2024:

- Get a new job that had room for career growth/development
- Start creating some form of fitness content (which I did in the form of this newsletter)
- Be more intentional about my mobility
- Cut down on the amount of alcohol I was consuming

For this week’s action point, just spend 10 minutes thinking about things you’d like to achieve in 2025. They don’t have to be fitness related, but just general life things that you think would make you a better person at the end of 2025 than you were at the start.

Also, you can check out this Youtube video I watched this week that I thought gave great tips:

Pausing to Reflect

We live in a world that’s always on the go. People are always looking ahead towards the thing that comes next.

With constant noise and distractions, sometimes it’s easy to get caught up going through the motions day-to-day, and then before you know it months have passed like the blink of an eye.

I always think the end of the year is an awesome time to pause and reflect on your life a bit.

Take a look back at your year.

How was it?

What were some wins you had this year that you can celebrate? Doesn’t matter if they are small or huge. But what are some things that went really well for you that improved your life?

Addionally, what things didn’t go well this year? Was there anything you told yourself you were going to do, but didn’t? If so, why didn’t you do it?

Is it something you still wish to do? How might you approach it differently to actually accomplish it this time?

Was there anything that surprised you this year? Anything that you wouldn’t have expected that positively or negatively impacted your life?

If you could summarize your year in two sentences, what would they be?

In what ways have you grown or changed as a person this year?

What habits did you develop in 2024 that you didn’t do in 2023?

Were there relationships (friends, romantic partners, family, etc) that flourished this year and brought you joy? What about relationships that you struggled with?

Did you step outside your comfort zone at all or learn any new skills?

Do you have any regrets or things you wish you would have done differently?

What was a highlight? Do you have any specific memory that was your best experience in 2024?

If you were a stranger meeting yourself for the first time, would you say you’re a more interesting person than you were at the start of the year?

Were you intentional about caring for your physical, mental, and emotional health?

Overall, would you say your year was a success?

I rapid-fired these questions at you, so I know there’s a lot to think about there. But I believe that if you never pause to reflect, it’s much more difficult to more forward in a positive direction.

In order to move forward, you have to be aware of the things in your past that got you to where you are today.

When I write this newsletter each week, I obviously hope to help you achieve your fitness goals. But I’m also just generally trying to help you be a happier, healthier, better version of yourself each and every day.

If you want, you can prompt ChatGPT to guide you through a reflection of your 2024. Try out a prompt like this: “Guide me through a reflection of my 2024. I want this reflection to take 20 minutes of my time.”

There are endless variations you could put into ChatGPT. Modify that prompt in a way that makes sense for you.

Reflecting prevents us from being zombies that get lost in our day-to-day activities. It helps bring awareness to your situation and increases your intentionality.

Ben’s Best

🥗 Food for the week:

I got a Ninja creamy to make protein ice cream at home that’s healthier than what you buy in stores. I highly recommend getting one. Here’s the recipe for a strawberry cheesecake blizzard I made with 46g of protein and only 350 calories:

theflexibledietinglifestyle

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🐔 And here is an awesome buffalo chicken meal prep recipe I came across this week:

johnnyhadac

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*I would add some veggies to this, frozen or fresh.

Have an awesome week!

Ben