The Shortlist to Reset for 2024

Posted bygkoontzPosted in2023 ArchivesTags:, , , , ,

Each year in addition to choosing a mantra, I have a quirky habit of flipping through the dictionary and selecting a word at random to be my personal word of the year. This year’s word is ‘shortlist’. While I was relieved it wasn’t something like squalor or redundant, I wasn’t quite sure at first how to work with that. And then it struck me that in this age of attention spans shorter than that of a goldfish, everyone loves a quick list. Give me the gist as succinctly as possible. 

Another perk of the shortlist is that it works in tandem with the idea of the research around habit formation working best in small bites, a la James Clear’s Atomic Habits. You can take one goal and break it down into manageable steps. Rather than facing down an overwhelming hurdle of resolutions for the new year, you have a list (or several) full of doable action items. You can post your list somewhere you’ll notice and skim it frequently to refresh yourself on your objectives and action steps. Maybe there’s one small task you could take on at just that moment, and maybe that will snowball into another and another until you’ve brought something powerful from dream to reality.

And so I offer seven shortlists for refreshing, resetting, and realigning the various aspects of your life for the year ahead.

Physical

  1. Start the day with a warm cup of water with freshly squeezed lemon.
  2. Heed your body’s cues for rest and hunger.
  3. Set reminders on your phone or watch to get up and stretch or do an activity burst. Don’t ignore them when they alert you!
  4. Dry brush your skin for lymphatic clearing and exfoliation.
  5. Create a realistic exercise regimen you actually want to stick to.
  6. Enjoy an epsom salt bath to relieve your muscles and relax.
  7. Savor winter’s bounty of roasted root veggies, soups, and stews

Mental

  1. Select a subject of interest for a deep dive over the next 6-12 months
  2. Take your vitamins and supplements that support good brain health.
  3. Start TED Talk Tuesday.
  4. Actively listen and engage in regular one-on-one conversations.
  5. Choose a new puzzle, class, or hobby to challenge your brain to think in new ways.
  6. Read at least one interesting article each week.
  7. Set a daily reminder to practice a language and/or instrument for 10-15 minutes.

Creative/Spiritual

  1. Implement/continue a daily stretching, dance, or yoga practice focused on breathwork and fully inhabiting your body.
  2. Choose a mantra and/or word for 2024. Repeat it to yourself as often as needed.
  3. Implement/continue a daily visualization practice for actualizing your goals.
  4. Reflect on learning and growth opportunities from the past year that can instruct you on modifications for this year.
  5. Read a poem, essay, or prayer at least once a week.
  6. Implement/continue a daily meditation practice.
  7. Once a month, enjoy a trip to a museum, gallery, opera, ballet, theater, or concert.

Relationships

  1. Reminisce shared memories from 2023 and think about plans for travel or everyday activities for 2024.
  2. Set a friend date for a cozy winter brunch.
  3. Practice smiling and saying hello to strangers you pass.
  4. Take deep breath timeouts when getting heated at home or work.
  5. Provide your family and friends your undistracted (read: put down the phone) attention.
  6. Send a thank you note to someone who isn’t expecting it.
  7. Leave a surprise love letter for your partner.

Purpose

  1. Determine a holistic approach to personal development and create a regimen that works for you.
  2. Set goals for this year, as well as for three years out and for five years from now
  3. Write down your goals and then break them down into smaller steps, working backward from your end result.
  4. Spend a little time each of your workdays, or at least once a week, on professional development.
  5. Plan for ways to motivate and inspire yourself and those you engage with each day.
  6. Reflect on what went well and what worked from the past year that you can continue doing.
  7. Devote time to practicing a skill or craft as you work toward mastery.

Household

  1. Finally get around to preparing your just-in-case documents, such as a will, beneficiaries, estate planning, etc.
  2. Review your savings and investments and determine if you need to make any changes. If you don’t yet have any, set them up on an automatic plan.
  3. Brainstorm ways to gift experiences more than objects.
  4. Clear the clutter and donate or repurpose as much as possible.
  5. Tackle at least one outstanding cleaning or household task, e.g., washing the curtains.
  6. Prepare for tax season by compiling necessary docs, filing or shredding ones you no longer need, etc. 
  7. Organize one drawer or cupboard each week until your house feels organized.

Community

  1. Commit to a daily act of kindness, even if it’s something seemingly small.
  2. Reflect on which charities you want to donate to this year.
  3. Determine a place to volunteer some of your time.
  4. Enjoy a local activity or event at least once a month.
  5. Hide notes with quotations or kind words for people to find.
  6. Check out your city’s attractions like a tourist and be pleasantly surprised at what you find out about the place you call home.
  7. Find out about a local issue and take at least one step toward trying to improve it.

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