Happy 2024 to all of you! Brian and I hope you enjoyed a restful holiday season. We spent ours mostly in peace and quiet. It was perfect. The days leading up to New Year’s Eve were marked with soulful rest and anticipation for adventure. We kicked off 2024 with an early morning cycle and walk around the neighborhood as we chatted about the 52 experiences we hope to share this year.
52 Weeks
With the start of a new year, there are fifty-two weeks of unwritten pages to fill with moments, memories, and experiences. The future is a blank slate, ready to be shaped by intention and action. And so here we are—beginning a new year with bite-sized, specific intentions.
Brian and I look forward to seeing what this year has in store for us. Though we carried over a few unexplored experiences from 2023, we’re excited for the opportunity to try to dive into them again.
52 Experiences
Here’s the complete list of the 52 experiences we plan to explore in 2024:
Travel
1. Take a genuine vacation
2. Wander through a cave
3. Hop on a train
4. Venture to New Mexico
5. Soak in a hot spring
6. Tour mid-century modern homes in Palm Springs, CA
7. Visit a random, obscure museum
8. Head up north to spend a weekend hiking through fall foliage
9. Cozy up overnight in a quiet and secluded cabin
Finance
10. Learn more about real estate investing
11. Take advantage of free access to Morningstar for investment research
12. Attend a webinar on tax-efficient investing
13. Create an inventory log of home and personal property for insurance purposes
Entertainment
14. Share some laughs at a comedy show
15. Check out an improv show
16. Scope out classic rides at a car show
17. Attend a live theater performance
18. Jam out to some tunes at no fewer than 4 concerts
Intellectual
19. Read a new book series
20. Start learning a new foreign language together
21. Become versed in a programming language
22. Brush up on my Italian
Health
23. Walk more outside
24. Incorporate nature therapy
25. Enjoy more naps
26. Keep a blood pressure log
27. Accomplish a 30-Day hydration challenge
28. Work towards standing 50% of the work day
29. Complete the P90X3 Classic Workout Schedule
30. Get 8 hours or more of solid sleep each night for at least 2 consecutive weeks
31. Have “nothing to do” days
32. Journal stream-of-consciousness style before bed
33. Limit screen time before sleep
Home
34. Fix shiplap board installation
35. Indulge in a staycation
36. Start a garden
37. Hang outdoor lights on our deck
38. Have a picnic on our deck
39. Seal up our bedroom return vent
40. Repair basement drywall
Community
41. Explore more library events
42. Listen to local musicians in small venues
43. Stroll an artisan market
44. Participate in 5 community events
45. Check out a local art exhibit
46. Stop and smell the roses at the local botanical garden
Connection
47. Host a potluck
48. Support friends’ creative endeavors
49. Organize just-because meals and get-togethers
50. Plan more alcohol-free social activities
51. Hike with a friend
52. Discover new music and create personal playlists
Embracing the Specific
Instead of aiming for general goals, Brian and I find that defining specific objectives significantly increases our motivation. Don’t get me wrong—general goals are great. In fact, it’s healthy to keep a running list of practical to-dos and dreamy aspirations. We realized, though, that we weren’t necessarily energized with determined purpose or anticipation by a list that references “more travel” or “better rest.” Such generic ambitions are tough to measure, let alone realize, in the way we ultimately envision them.
Embracing the specific continues to help us reframe our general goals into achievable moments. We’re grateful for a new year and can’t wait to jump into new experiences!
Do you have any specific experiences planned for this year that you’d like to share?
