24 for 2024

Intentions for 2024

🥳 Happy New Year! Helen here with our first installment of Mind the Beet of 2024! Three years ago, I began following Gretchen Rubin’s practice of setting goals for the year and this has become my favorite post to write. This is my version of "New Year’s resolution” but one anchored in a menu of options to pursue that inspires me and brings me joy rather than a daunting checklist.

Thematically, in 2024, I am focused on building community, healthy habits, travel repertoire, and professional development. I also used the number 24 to inspire my targets.

Foster a Sense of Community (1-4)

👩‍🍳 Join Community Loaves as a volunteer baker - I have been looking for volunteering opportunities and ways to incorporate our kids into it so a neighbor and friend recommended I check out Community Loaves . This organization empowers home-based bakers to reduce hunger and promote wellness.

☕️ Host a mom’s party - I did this last year and it was so fun! We had a tea party, this year, I might try a lunch.

🩸Donate blood 2x - I finally broke through my irrational fear for donating blood in 2023, so I hope to do it twice this year and support the local community that is always in need of blood.

✅ Compile holiday cards into a binder - I love creating a book of holiday cards every year - it’s a fun way to be reminded of the community that surrounds us near and far. I also try to have at least one thing on the list that I have already completed, and this one is done!

Build Healthy Habits (5-14)

🚶‍♀️Walk 7k steps a day - Continuing from last year, this felt like a much more attainable goal than 10K steps a day, so I’m going to keep doing this. (health)

🏋️‍♀️ Weight training 2x a week - I have decided to switch out from circuit training classes (F45) and go back to traditional weight lifitng with a trainer. I have a goal to keep it up regularly at the gym. (health)

🥗 Track food 5x a week - I continue to be on a mission to be intentional about how much food I am consuming in order to lead a healthy lifestyle. I have learned that tracking all the time is not sustainable, but if I can be purposeful 5 out of 7 days, I’ll see good progress.

⚕️ Get a mammogram - this was on my list last year and I did not get to it, but I plan to get it scheduled ASAP. Why Your First Mammogram at 40 is a Vital Health Priority 

💧Drink 80 oz of water a day and re-start using my HidrateSpark bottle that lights up to remind me to drink more water

🏃‍♀️Do 2-4 5ks with a friend - I did a Mother’s day 5k last year and remembered how fun races are. So this year, I hope to do a few of these throughout the year as I augment weight lifting with cardio.

👩‍❤️‍👨Monthly date night with Adam - Life is busy, so being intentional about time together as a couple is really important. Maintaining our relationship is part of my focus on health this year.

🔐 Set up and use a password management system for personal stuff - I have had one at work for a few years and Adam and I are committed to getting our household apps and services organized and streamlined. I consider this to be part of our household health.

👚Organize sweaters in my closet - The sweaters are poorly organized and I don’t have a good folding or hanging approach for them, so I’m going to solve it this year. I know once I do, I will get more joy and this will support tidiness habits.

📝 Write for 2-4 minutes every day - Gretchen Rubin has an annual challenge that she does and this year it’s #Write24in24 and I am joining it. I love journaling and have re-started using Day One to help me write daily. My goal is to write anything for 2-4 minutes a day in a journal - from random thoughts to daily intentions to brainstorms of blog ideas for this newsletter. This is my mental health habit for 2024.

Travel (15-18)

🌎 Visit a new country as a family - our kids are finally in a fun travel age, so it’s exciting to plan bigger trips with them. Our goal is to visit New Zealand this year.

👩‍👧Do a trip with each of my daughters - last year, I only was able to do one trip, so this year, I’m going to try again. I’m looking forward to forming 1:1 memories with my daughters especially as they are in this precious age range of 6-12

🗽Trip to NYC as a family - New York is one of my favorite places and my oldest daughter and I went there last year and it made me crave a trip as a family, so we are going to try to make that happen.

🌄 Visit the Grand Canyon - I have never been to the Grand Canyon so this year is the year and I’m excited!

Professional Development and Learning (19-23)

💡Consult as a Product Manager for a start-up in the Seattle area throughout the year - at this stage of my career, I want to both giveback and continue learning. So I will seek opportunities to get to know the start-up community and offer help.

📚 Complete two more coach training courses - last year, I began my coaching certification journey and would like to continue it this year by prioritizing taking 2 more courses on a path to a certiication.

💬 Get to 4,800 followers on LinkedIn - I’m currently just over 2,500 and want to double this (24x2).

🎊 Play with 2 new products a month and write about it - Adam and I talk a lot about product play and how important it is to make time for it.

📖 Complete 1 Reforge module a week to advance PM craft - I have a year long subscription to Reforge through work, and hope to continue taking advantage of it.

Spontaneity (24)

❓Leaving empty to see what new opportunity comes up that I want to embrace.