Let’s be so f*cking for real. It’s about to be a new year. Twenty, twenty-four. I can’t even begin to tell you where this year went. It was a blur. Time didn’t feel real. But I’m so happy to have made it through.
This year my holidays were filled with an awkward quietness. I spent the holidays in hibernation: lots of wine, homemade charcuterie boards and beautifully rolled joints to make Christmas a little more merry. I did the traditional family things, but I had to accept that my once big and bustling family was not as big or bustling this year. It’s a bit unsettling to realize that you’re now the one who has to carry on the family traditions when your family passes on. I was comforted by the fact that holidays are weird for a lot of people, not just me. Whether you’re estranged from family, separated by distance or just alone for the holidays, it can be a very weird time emotionally.
There’s this inevitable heaviness that comes with the end of the year. Aside from the literal ending of the year, the finality of another year being behind us makes us reflect. The madness, hustle and bustle of the holidays. The EOY deadlines. Making sure that everything is wrapped up in a nice little bow so that we can start the new year off fresh. The cleansing, the decluttering, the sprucing. The lists, the resolutions, anti-resolutions.
It's always a period of deep introspection, reflection and planning.
Whether you’re a vision board, goal-setting, 12-week planning type of girlie, or you’re taking your time and easing into the new year, the end of the year is always a spiritual reset. I use this time to figure out what goes and what stays. I take full inventory on what has transpired over the year, what’s currently happening in my life, what I want to bring with me into the new year, and what I need to release.
Even though the beginning of the year is symbolic for new beginnings, new endings, and starting fresh, it’s also in the dead of winter. Living on a farm has taught me respect for the seasons. My “new year” technically doesn’t begin until the spring in March. When things begin to dethaw, defrost and bloom. In nature, that signfies a new year and new season. I will be spending the next few months in hibernation, enjoying the winter season, resting and doing some personal and professional development.
I’m overdue for a good detox and I don’t just mean that physically. It’s a perfect time to digitally detox, get rid of content that no longer aligns with what you want to see. Who are you following? How does their content make you feel? What energy do you want to consume going into this new year? Unfollow those gossip blogs, that old friend group, or those monitoring spirits that always watch, but never like or interact. Remove that stagnant energy.
Below are my lists of ins and outs for 2024:
Another year in the books.
Another year wrapped.
I tend to get shiny object syndrome which causes me to fixate on a certain thing for a few months and then never complete it. Being an ADHD girlie, I cannot make too many concrete plans into the future. I don’t believe in starting off the year with a bunch of resolutions that I’ll never meet, but I do have goals in mind that I am putting time, energy and dedication towards this upcoming year. The main one being staying consistent. Boring, yes I know, but very hard to do.
It’s hard to stay consistent practicing and sucking at something.
It’s hard to stay consistent while maintaining a steady routine.
It’s hard to stay consistent while learning something new.
It’s hard to stay consistent writing a blog or newsletter.
It’s hard to stay consistent posting content.
It’s hard to stay consistent working out.
If consistency were easy, we’d all be doing it. I want to get better and continue being consistent in all areas of my life by practicing discipline and expanding my creative palette. I want to get better at my craft, enhance my skills and become the greatest version of myself I can possibly be in all areas of my life.
I recently saw a TikTok that said, “if you want people to know you, you have to show them who you are.” That simple, but profound statement brought so much context and color into my world. I’ve been playing the background and hiding behind my work, accomplishments and career, but deep inside, I know I’m meant for more. I can give my clients, friends and family all of the advice in the world on how they should start, be consistent, put themselves out there, and not be afraid, but I haven’t been taking my own advice.
Don’t allow the fear of perception hold you back this year.
Don’t be afraid to be seen trying or starting something new.
2024 is going to be my year of community and exploration. I’ve spent a lot of time building my online community, my career, my businesses, and my skill set, but I am at a place in my life where I am looking for longterm community. People to go to museums, take classes with, bond over niche topics, I’m looking for those types of connections. I want to make new friends and network with new people. I have spent the last couple of years living on my farm and before that COVID happened, and before that, I was building my business.
Next year is my year of play, fun and meeting new people. Life is meant to be lived, but never lived alone.
I’m so blessed to see another year and grateful that I’ve made it through another 365 days. Thank you for reading and subscribing to BFFR. Next year, we’re taking it up a few notches. Wishing you the best new year ever!
Always remember: You can rebrand your life at any time.
Love your ins and outs list! I think I want sit down and write one. I definitely felt you on the ‘self help books’ being out. Nothing else needs to be fixed, we need to live! ✨💖
❤︎ DOM, your writing skills are unfuckwitable! Or in other words "Magical" just like your fairybrandmuva title. I pray you get all you want out of this upcoming year and that you stay warm and well until March (when you start your new year). 👀 selfish question, will you be taking new clients/consultations in 2024? Copywriting specifically. I ask because I have a new brand in a unique niche that I know if given the leash, you would dog walk it lol.