I never really do New Years resolutions, but since 2020 I have been choosing a word for my year. I love doing this because it helps me make decisions through out the year. Should I do x, y, or z? Well how does it relate to my word? Would doing so lead me in a direction I’m wanting to go or further away? I apply my word to big decisions and also small daily choices. For example, my word for 2024 was money. When thinking how to plan my year I knew I wanted to be better about money, so I said no to more trips. As a smaller example, when I would pick my next book to read I would consider my word. I ended up reading two money books this year which is something I’ve never done before. The word is something I use as a guide.
Past Words
2020: pleasure. If something/someone wasn’t making me feel good, I wasn’t doing it and that included working haha.
2021: settle. I needed to be ok with being back in Indiana and making my life here again after the chaos of 2019 and 2020.
2022: strength. I took enough time to heal from the heart break of 2019 and the sadness/shock of pandemic life in 2020. I was ready to not just survive but thrive. I worked on strength physically and emotionally.
2023: Spanish. I’ve always wanted to be fluent in another language and have always been drawn to Spanish. I decided to finally invest time and money into making this life goal a reality.
2024’s Word
Money! After years of doing whatever the hell I wanted financially, I was ready to be smarter about money and invest in my future with more intention.
Here are some of the book and podcasts I found the most helpful in case you are starting a money journey of your own 🙂
The Money With Katie Show: This is a podcast I pick and choose episodes from when there’s a topic I want to learn more about. Thinking about your finances can be overwhelming and scary, but the way Katie talks about everything is so approachable.
This money-focused episode of Girls Gotta Eat talked about the conversations you should be having with a partner before you move in together. Really great discussion I was able to implement in real life.
The Simple Path to Wealth: I wasn’t sure where to start with investing, but I felt good about making it happen beyond my 401k from work after reading this book.
Financial Feminist: This is a great place to start if you’re a true beginner (no savings, no 401k, no emergency fund, credit card debt, etc.) It was nice to see that I’m on track with the things I’ve been doing. I also took away some great insight about my monthly budget and opening a high yield savings account.
Money and Travel
This is my yearly travel round up, so what did this “year of money” mean in terms of travel? I did slow down compared to the past few years. But travel is something I’ll always spend money on if I have it, and I learned that’s ok. I got to check two big things off my bucket list in 2024 and was able to visit two new states and one new country.
January, February, June, July, September, November, and December were all spent at home. More than half the year! March and April I did small trips to visit family (not super expensive–another win!). So really I only spent money on travel in May, August, and October (Utah, Croatia, and New Mexico, respectively).
The California Zephyr! Riding from Chicago to Grand Junction (and back): A bucket list train journey.
One Day in Arches National Park: I still have so much to get to in terms of our Utah trip, but this day in Arches was definitely a favorite!
My Honest Review of a Girls Weekend in America’s Most Violent State: Didn’t realize I talked my friend into visiting a state that’s way cuter on the internet than it is in real life…
What NOT To Do Before Your Trip With MedSailors: My second trip with this company! Highly recommend them if you want to do a group sailing trip in the Mediterranean (who wouldn’t??).
Honey
It was also randomly the year of honey lol. I ate a lot of it and put a lot of it on my face and hair. Waffles topped with ricotta drizzled with honey was a favorite breakfast this year, and these honey salmon bowls were a favorite dinner. I also love that honey represents sweetness. A balancing out of the bitter and tough things in life.
What’s Next
I love that everything I implement each year continues on when the year is over even though I switch my focus to something else. I still use the lessons I learned about pleasure in 2020 today in terms of having a good work/life balance and what my relationship standards are. I’ve settled into life in Indiana and continue to deepen those roots each year. I still do yoga and Peloton as part of my normal routine after focusing on moving my body in 2022. And I’m still in my Spanish class that I started taking at the start of 2023. That will all carry through to this year as will all the money lessons I learned in 2024.
My word for 2025 is FOCUSED. Believe it or not I actually want to slow down even more. I want to be more mindful about how I spend each day. Am I focusing my energy on what’s important to me and on people who reciprocate the same energy I give? I want to spend each day writing, moving my body, nurturing relationships that nurture me, cooking, reading, taking care of myself, making a home, practicing Spanish, getting more organized, etc. I do know I’ll be visiting at least one new state this year and have vague plans of visiting one new country. I’m not sure what 2025 will bring, but I feel the most curious about turning inwards and seeing where that focus takes me.
I’d love to know anyone’s word if you do this too! 🙂