24 for 2024 Progress Check In

👋🏻 Helen here with an update on my goals for 2024 since we are about halfway through the year. Three years ago, I began following Gretchen Rubin’s practice of setting goals for the year. I don’t see this as a checklist of 24 things that I will get done but more of a menu to keep me focused and inspired. This year, my plans took a turn when I decided to leave Guild and take a sabbatical focusing on community, health, and connection.

So, while I now have more time to achieve all of my goals on my 24 for 2024 list, I am choosing to re-examine this list and remove items that don’t make sense for me right now and add ones that are more fulfilling and rewarding for where I am today. So with that, read on to see where I’m at.

Foster a Sense of Community (1-4)

👩‍🍳 Join Community Loaves as a volunteer baker - Done. I struggled to get going on this while I was working, but I have successfully joined and started contributing cookies about a month ago!

☕️ Host a mom’s party - Not started

🩸Donate blood 2x - Not started

✅ Compile holiday cards into a binder -Done

Build Healthy Habits (5-14)

🚶‍♀️Walk 7k steps a day - On track

🏋️‍♀️ Weight training 2x a week - On track. A friend and I workout with a trainer 2x a week and it has been both fun and helped me with accountability

🥗 Track food 5x a week - Not started. I cannot get myself into this habit so will cut my losses on this one

⚕️ Get a mammogram - Done

💧Drink 80 oz of water a day - On track

🏃‍♀️Do 2-4 5ks with a friend -0 done so far but I have hope that I’ll at least get 1 in this year

👩‍❤️‍👨Monthly date night with Adam - On track

🔐 Set up and use a password management- Done

👚Organize sweaters in my closet - On track. This project has expanded to a remodel of our main clothing closet in our bedroom.

📝 Write for 2-4 minutes every day - On track. I have been journaling everyday as part of my sabbatical using Day One.

Travel (15-18)

🌎 Visit a new country as a family - Done. We went to Mexico as a family and have made plans for Fiji and New Zealand!

👩‍👧Do a trip with each of my daughters - On track. The oldest and I have done a trip and I am working on a plan with my younger daughter as well.

🗽Trip to NYC as a family - Done!

🌄 Visit the Grand Canyon -Done! We also did a sunset family photoshoot in the Grand Canyon, and that was incredible!

Professional Development and Learning (19-23)

💡Consult as a Product Manager for a start-up - Done! I worked with an AI art start-up, Suited Canvas, for 3 months

📚 Complete two more coach training courses - On track and evolving. I’m going to evolve this with the goal of obtaining a full-on executive coaching certification. I likely won’t finish it this year, but I’ll be happy as long as I start and have a plan to finish. Stay tuned for more on this!

💬 Get to 4,800 followers on LinkedIn - Not started and not really a focus anymore for this year.

🎊 Play with 2 new products a month and write about it - Not started - While I am playing with new products, I have not found inspiration or motivation to write about them

📖 Complete 1 Reforge module a week to advance PM craft - Not started - I will do some continued development but no longer have a goal of doing this weekly

Spontaneity (24)

I left one empty to fill in once I had a better idea of the year, but here is a list of a few things that I am adding in:

🎤 Take a trip with my dad - I have never done a 1:1 trip with my dad and we both love country music, so we are going to explore Nashville together in the fall.

☕️ Do a face-to-face coffee/walk a week - I have been reconnecting with friends and colleagues and have been getting a lot of energy from this

🍽️ Host an outdoor dinner party - I am craving to entertain more, so planning to host a few dinner parties to keep fostering connection

Thanks for reading and helping me stay accountable to myself! If you are new to our Substack, here is a list of some of our top posts by genre:

🏄🏻‍♀️ Career:

Three Key Lessons from a Growth Stage Start-Up by Helen

💎 Advancing from Product Manager to Product Leader by Adam

How does a product leader manage their time? by Adam

🛠️ Product:

💎 Hidden Gems for PM's Inside Taylor Swift Lyrics by Helen and Adam

💯 How to Thrive as a GPM at Microsoft by Adam

Honing my skills as a product manager by Helen

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Parenting:

Work Travel and Mom Guilt by Helen

10 Lessons in 10 Years of Parenting by Helen

👨‍🍼My First Year of Fatherhood: Polished Memories by Adam

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