2024 VISION BOARD
The end of the year is quickly approaching and with that, I have started to give a lot thought about the new year ahead — my goals, intentions, and how I envision myself in this new chapter of life. This year, there were many ups and downs. There were moments of immense happiness and other days when I could not bring myself to get out of bed. Both experiences, however, provided me with meaningful learning experiences and as I reflect, I appreciate all that this year has given me. Having these experiences and greater knowledge of myself, I created a vision board to reflect the intentions that I have set for myself.
Physical Wellness: This year, my commitment to improving my physical wellness was inconsistent. Although I managed to get some form of exercise each week, it was not enough to meet my goals. The issue stemmed from two sources one: the workout schedule I created was not realistic — it did not fit into my busy work and teaching schedule and two: when I did go to the gym, the intensity of my workout proved to be too much. It took longer to recover and interrupted my workout schedule. It was a vicious cycle. Now, I realize that I need to do a lot of fine-tuning to reach my goals.
Over the past month, I have been doing a Pilates workout at home. I do the workout before work in the morning twice a week. On the days in between, I go to the gym for strength training, and on the weekends, I go for a morning walk. So far, this workout schedule has worked well for me, and I have seen some results. Next year, I intend to keep this routine by making physical movement (of some sort) part of my daily wellness routine.
Self-care: While on vacation, I read through old entries in my journal. I noticed one reoccurring theme — my self-care practices lack beneficial inner practices such as meditation and breathwork. These two practices used to be a staple in my daily routine during the pandemic. I used them as a way to de-stress and cope with the uncertainty of the times. Once life regained some normalcy, I got lost in the flux of “being busy” and forgot just how beneficial inner work is for my mental health. In the new year, I intend to implement these practices into my morning routine by waking up early and connecting with myself before I connect with others.
Travel: This has been an exciting year of travel. This past February, I went to Playa del Carmen, Mexico for a quick getaway. In April, I visited my family in Miami. June was a month of many celebrations, which took place in Mallorca, Spain, and the French Riviera. I celebrated my birthday in August in Montreal and Quebec City. Finally, to end the year, we took a quick trip back to Playa del Carmen to relax before I began my new job. Traveling, simply put, hits my reset button by breaking up the monotony of my daily life. It brings me a sense of calmness and helps to spark my creativity. Next year, my top three places to visit are Amsterdam, London, and Mexico City. I am manifesting more travel days in the new year ahead with the hopes of balancing my work/life schedule and achieving my goals of traveling far and wide.
Mindfulness: Life is far better lived in the moment. But far too often, I let the present slip away by worrying about the future or in some cases, ruminating about the past. While at work, I think about going on vacation, and while on vacation, I worry about all the tasks at work that are waiting for my return. I often leave the experience worried about what may happen next and never fully feel that I enjoyed myself. I want to cultivate a nonjudgmental awareness of every moment of my life. To take in each experience to observe how I am feeling or what I am doing in the moment.
Books: Reading has become one of my favorite hobbies. Having read (now over) twenty books this year, I have set a new goal of reading thirty books in 2024. I am already creating a list of books to read for the new year, which you can find part one of that list here.
