2024 Reflections

I've been taking some time this week - in little pockets of time around all the parenting and family time - to reflect on 2024 (highlights, lowlights, and goals achieved), and think about my intentions for 2025. This post I'll share my 2024 reflections, and tomorrow I'll share my 2025 goals.

My word of the year was "Care", and I honestly used this to guide me many times this year when I was feeling stressed. There were multiple times where I was feeling stressed or sick or exhausted, and in previous years I would have just pushed through with all my plans anyway, overwhelmed and miserable. But this time, I’d ask “what would Care look like?” And often I’d then cancel some plans or to-dos, and you know what? Literally nothing bad happened, and I felt better. Win!

Exploring Montreal was a highlight

2024 Highlights

• Our first family camping trip in March - 2 nights in a caravan park 25 minutes from our house, but we were in a tent and it was good fun!

• Our family mini-break in the September school holidays staying at a fun resort - also 25 minutes from our house, it was great - the feel of a fun trip, without the actual travel part! HA!

• My parents moving interstate to live in our local area - this was a BIG one. We LOVE having them nearby, and now see them 2-3 times per week.

• Visiting family in Melbourne - twice! Once with E, once on my own (extended work trip). Spending time with my siblings, nieces, and old friends.

• Meeting Elisabeth in Nova Scotia on my Canada trip!

• Exploring the Montreal old town on my own and seeing an amazing light and sound show in the Notre-Dame de Montreal - awe-inspiring and deeply moving

• Seeing both kids thriving at kindy/school this year (their second year at the same school/kindy, so they were truly settled and doing well)

• Generally seeing the kids grow and develop, particularly O who has developed very much from a toddler to a proper pre-schooler this year

2024 Lowlights

There were a few stressful, anxiety-inducing and sad components to 2024. Of course some lowlights are more personal and not really shareable in blog-land, but here are a couple I can share:

• Our cat dying suddenly in November (he was a huge part of our family for 12 years, E was particularly devastated and still has a photo of him printed in colour on large paper, taped above her bed.

• Some very stressful, exhausting periods of time at work (grant season!)

• Some periods of illness, including just two weeks ago when E ended up in emergency!

Goals - how I did. I won’t list a few (I maybe had 15 or so?), but here’s a few with my reflections:

• Get the house set up - YES. At the start of the year our new house (we’d moved in about 11 months earlier), felt not that functional. Two lights weren’t working, rooms were not arranged well, kids had bunk beds they didn’t sleep in, there was a mattress on the floor of the spare room, the office desk was in the lounge room (and a MESS!), and we had no dishwasher. Fast forward 12 months and we have (mostly) functional rooms, all lights work, and we have a dishwasher! Still a lot more to do on the house (painting inside is next), but it’s such an improvement.

• Start a Pilates/strength training class- um no. But I did try one Pilates class, and worked out it wasn’t for me (right now). But I didn’t then actually try anything else. Even though I noticed how stiff I am etc.

• Finish the second draft of my novel (I’ve been writing for a few years). No - but I did start a blog, so maybe that counts as a writing project? I’ve posted 67 times since March ☺️ I’m ok with leaving this one for now, I’ll pick it back up when the time is up.

• Drink more herbal tea (instead of coffee) - no, BUT I did start drinking more decaf coffee, so that’s progress (I still have probably 2 caffeinated coffees a day but not 3-4!)

• Create a good bedtime kids routine- yes, much happier with this one. We now turn off any screens anhour before bed, do “quiet playing” for half an hour, then bath/shower, teeth, reading, and lights out. Though the kids do play up a bit sometimes, leading to yelling. But I’ve gotten stricter which has helped (I’m definitely seen as the soft touch out of Al and I)!

• Make a will (estate planning) - no. Been procrastinating this one for many years. But 2025 must be the year. I’m inspired by SHU who finally achieved this after many years in 2024.

• Up to date on regular health checks for me and the kids- progress on this one. I got a mammogram for the first time, which I’d put off for 2 years. But I need to get more regular with dental check ups (my brother in law is a dentist and used to do this, but now we live in a different state)! So we need to get a local dentist and go annually. Boring but essential!

• Create a regular writing schedule for work- yes! I scheduled in 3 mornings of writing per week. Many sessions got canceled/moved but overall I was more productive.

So that was 2024. Anyone else do a reflection session on 2024? Any highlights or lowlights?