As we stand on the cusp of a new year, you might be thinking about how you can make 2024 even better than 2023. Perhaps there are things you want to do differently next year, or you seek inspiration for further improvement. If that’s the case, be sure to check out the practical strategies in this guide on how to make 2024 your best year yet.
Table of Contents
Reflect and Reset
Before diving headfirst into the new year, take a moment to reflect on the lessons of the past. What worked well in 2023? Or what could you have done differently?
By examining the past, we empower ourselves to make informed decisions moving forward. Acknowledge your accomplishments, learn from your mistakes, and use this knowledge as the bedrock for the year ahead.
To that end, I recommend scheduling time for reflection at the start of the new year. I like to do this on January 1st, so that might also be a good day for your reflection. Sit down and jot down the things that come to mind when you think about the things you did well or could have done differently in 2023. It can be a fun exercise to list your achievements of the past year. Give yourself some credit for everything you’ve done well!
Based on this reflection, you will likely be able to identify your areas for improvement. These are the aspects of your life you want to improve in the future, and it can be anything you want. Perhaps you’d like to lose some weight to improve your health. Or you might want to finally start that business you’ve always dreamed about, so you can quit your 9-5 job that you secretly loathe.
Use these areas of improvement for the next step, where you’ll be defining your goals and vision for 2024.
ACTION POINTS
- Schedule dedicated time for reflection at the start of 2024.
- Create a list of your achievements in 2023.
- Write down your areas for improvement based off 2023.
Define Your Vision and Objectives
Making 2024 the best year yet starts with clear, defined goals. The mere act of setting objectives propels you into action, providing a roadmap for the year ahead.
It’s important to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) in your goal-setting. If you’d like to know how, be sure to check out our guide on how to write SMART goals.
It’s equally important to track your progress and celebrate achievements along the way. To that end, I recommend using key performance indicators (KPI’s) to measure your progress, as it’s a huge motivation boost when you see all the progress you’re making. An example of a KPI is tracking your weight when you have a goal of losing 10 pounds.
Now, once you have defined your goals, it’s a great idea to break these goals down into smaller, more manageable tasks. I like to use the following structure:
- Area. The overall life area, like health or social life.
- Goal. Your SMART goal, including the KPI’s associated with that goal.
- Project. The different sets of tasks, organized in themed bundles.
- Tasks. The small actions you can schedule in your calendar.
Once you have identified and refined your goals, you want to make sure you don’t forget them. It’s thus important to make your goals visible, and there are many ways to do that. You could write them down on a board in your bedroom, give them a prominent place in your notebook, or you could put them in Notion, just to give you some ideas.
I can also highly recommend scheduling a monthly review in which you look back at your month. What went well? What could have gone better? And what did you learn? I believe the simple act of reviewing your month adds a layer of reflection that keeps you on track.
ACTION POINTS
- Write down your personal goals for 2024.
- Break these goals down into smaller, manageable tasks.
- Track your progress through KPI's.
- Display your goals in a visible place to serve as a daily reminder.
- Schedule a monthly review to assess how you are doing.
Cultivate Continuous Improvement
In the pursuit of personal development, adopting a growth mindset is crucial. View challenges as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable obstacles. And embrace the idea that your abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. By adopting this perspective, you position yourself for success in every endeavor.
I also believe that it’s often best to focus on doing one thing really well than trying to do ten things okayish at the same time. So for 2024 I would recommend to pick one, and only one, skill you want to develop.
Then create a plan to develop this skill with complete focus. The structure of areas, goals, projects and tasks can be helpful in creating such a plan.
In this plan, you should be sure to include all kinds of learning opportunities, like courses, tutorials, books and informative videos.
ACTION POINTS
- Adopt a growth mindset.
- Identify 1 skill you want to improve in 2024.
- Create a plan to develop this skill.
- Seek out learning opportunities, like courses and books, for this skill.
Prioritize Self-Care
A thriving, fulfilling life begins with self-care. Make 2024 the year you prioritize your physical and mental well-being. Nurture your body with regular exercise and adequate sleep.
To that end, I recommend creating a fitting sleep schedule. Most people need about 8 hours of sleep per day, so make that your first aim. Then notice whether you feel well-rested each morning. If you still feel tired when you wake up, try to experiment with different hours of sleep. As one sleep cycle is about 1.5 hours, you might feel better when sleeping 7.5 hours or 9 hours. You can also use our Sleep Calculator to find your suggested bedtime.
Another great way to prioritize self-care in 2024 is by incorporating exercise in your weekly routine. People who plan their workouts are more likely to actually work out, so be sure to make it a default to exercise a certain amount of times per week. I have planned my workouts in Google Calendar as a recurring event 3 times a week. This creates a situation where the default situation is that I go to the gym 3 times a week, and I need to adjust my schedule if I don’t go. If you need more tips, be sure to check out our guide on how to go to the gym when you don’t feel like going.
ACTION POINTS
- Create a fitting sleep schedule (around 8 hours for most people).
- Incorporate exercise in your weekly planning.
Build Strong Connections
Human connection is a cornerstone of a fulfilling life, so cultivate and strengthen relationships with your family, friends, and colleagues. And be sure to surround yourself with individuals who uplift and inspire you.
To build stronger connections, schedule quality time with the people you love. In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, one of the first victims of our lack of time is often our social life. It doesn’t have to be. Try to find time periods in your week where you normally have space, and reserve that time for social activities. It’ll likely make your life better!
Another great way to build stronger connections in 2024 is by practicing active listening. It’s important to make sure the people around you feel like you care about them and what they say, and active listening is such a good way to achieve this. If you’d like to learn more about active listening, check out our 4 strategies on how to have a good conversation with anyone.
We all have busy lives, so there is only so much time in a week for socializing. That’s why I can highly recommend identifying which social activities give you energy and which do not. Too often we say yes to things we don’t actually like to do, just to please others. Or we meet up with someone we know isn’t good to us. By doing this, we automatically limit our time with the people we actually care about. So think carefully about which activities and which people you actually want to spend your time on in 2024.
ACTION POINTS
- Schedule quality time with loved ones in your weekly planning.
- Practice active listening in 2024.
- Stop spending your time on people who don't give you energy.
Manage Your Time Effectively
As I already touched upon in the previous section, time is a finite resource, and how you utilize it plays a pivotal role in the success of your year. Efficient time management allows you to pursue your goals, balance work and personal life, and make the most of every moment. So take control of your schedule in 2024!
To that end, I highly recommend creating a schedule. It doesn’t really matter whether it is a digital or physical planner; what matters is the fact that you’re actively planning and thus managing your time. It gives you control over your time, and that’s incredibly important if you want to live your life to the fullest.
Once you have found a planner that works for you, be sure to time-block your days to make sure you spend your time effectively. Digital planners, like Google Calendar, have a handy feature that allows you to create recurring events. Use this to build a weekly schedule that repeats every week. Of course you can edit this on the go when needed.
To make sure you plan your weeks well, I recommend a short weekly planning session. I do this every Sunday evening, and it helps me plan the coming week. Since I have created a time-blocked schedule with recurring events, I only need to make small adjustments here and there.
ACTION POINTS
- Create a (digital) weekly schedule in e.g. Google Calendar.
- Time-block your days to ensure you spend your time effectively.
- Schedule a short weekly planning session to plan the coming week.
Secure Your Financial Well-Being
Financial stability is a key component of a successful and fulfilling life. So be sure to take proactive steps to secure your economic well-being in 2024.
To achieve this, first track your income and expenses. You can divide your income and different expenses in several categories, like groceries or transportation to further break down where your money is coming from and where it’s going. If you’d like to get started, be sure to check out our budget template.
Simultaneously, it’s a great idea to also track your net worth. That way, you know whether you’re heading in the right direction or you’re depleting your reserves. Both tracking your income/expenses and tracking your net worth can be linked to your monthly review. That’s a great time to review your finances!
Once you’ve gained insight into your expenses, it’s time to review whether you can cut unnecessary spending. Most people I know who have started tracking their expenses are surprised to see where their money is going. Often, they have no idea they are spending so much on a certain type of expense.
ACTION POINTS
- Track your income and expenses.
- Track your net worth every month and link it to your monthly review.
- Review whether you can cut unnecessary spending.
