8 Things to Transform 2024 Into the Best Year Ever

 

2023 was a really rough year. And unlike most of my prone-to-hyperbole writing, I'm underselling what a garbage fire it was been personally and career-wise. There were still many gems to be uncovered, especially the profound and magical experience of performing the musical,  Disney's Beauty and the Beast with my family at this historic Brantford Sanderson Centre.

But I just consulted the calendar, and 2023 is over. 2024 has come stomping in, and it can be a fresh start and promises a better 12 months. I have a chance to make 2024 a Steve Spielberg-like fantasy of adventure and wonder as opposed to the 2023 Lars Von Trier-helmed kind of year.

How do I plan on doing such a thing? Well, here are 8 things that will make 2024 an unforgettable and great year. Even if it has an American election crammed into it. . . ugh. My hope is that my own sharing can motivate and inspire others who have experienced a rough previous year.

1. Laugh at the voices triggered by crippling self-doubt and focus on every big, minor, and in-between victory in my career and life.  When I do this, I realize I have a lot of great, shining moments.

2. Take the initiative to immerse myself into my family and friends to spend valuable quality time with those that I love, and make everything I do deeply connected with that love and objective. 

3. Be ridiculously grateful for every big and small positive thing and gift that slides into my life.

4. Take ownership of my flaws and then dig into how to repair them, and actively aim to mould them into strengths. This is also the year I am seeking medical help with my mental health, which hopefully is a huge step in feeling like I have some control on this roller coaster ride.

5. Devote time to discovering fresh hobbies, embracing vibrant creative activities, and recognizing the beauty of recharging and energizing myself. Returning to the stage was huge in 2023, and I hope to pursue that along with a few other things more actively this year. 

6. Devote time to actively making long unreached goals into current in-progress activities.

7. Exercise and also play more with the dogs. They need it, and I need it more.

8. Be actively involved in the community and family. Connect with those that I deeply love, but be open to adding more to the fold.