Starting Over
Until I saw the DEV Resolutions 2024 tag about a day ago, I didn't have any goals for the new year.
I mean, I have "things" I'm working towards, but my progress doesn't feel great. I move forward in life by doing some things here and working on other things there but it's not as organized or meaningful as I want it to be. I feel like my life as a whole has been a long rollercoaster of a few highs, a lot of lows, and plenty of unexpected twists and bends.
Ultimately, I experienced some good (and bad) conclusions in my life last year and I see this new year as a "new beginning" to my life. I was going to call it a "new chapter" but I don't see this period in my life as a continuation to the story told so far. I think of this time as a new beginning to something better.
I'm still working on reviewing my past year and previewing my year ahead, but for the sake of the passing holidays and newfound cheer that I have — I wanted to declare my new goals in my "new life".
My Goals for 2024
I use a special system of dividing my life into specific areas that I call — wait for it — my "Areas of Life". Yes, I spent a lot of brainpower on that name. I got the idea of having several defined areas of life from the "Wheel of Life" assessment which I stumbled upon with some "goal-planning" Google searches. You can find many variations of the Wheel of Life online; many which have different areas of life to account for. I personally use the following six areas — Business, Development, Environment, Finance, Health, and Social.
For each of my six "Areas of Life", I have given myself at least a single main goal to work toward this year. I can (and probably will) have more in each area as the year goes on, but what I have declared below is what I want to achieve the most this year.
BUSINESS Goal
- Goal: Produce creative content so I can teach web design online
- Action Steps: Create a personal brand, Create a content calendar, Establish a content creation workflow, Create a list of ideas, Start producing content consistently
- Timeline: Begin at the start of Q1-M1 (January)
DEVELOPMENT Goal
- Goal: Learn more in advanced web development topics so I can become a full stack engineer
- Action Steps: Find topics that interest me and will move me forward, Create a study plan (with projects), Dedicate time each day to learn selected topics, Post my learning and discoveries online
- Timeline: Begin at the start of Q2-M1 (April)
ENVIRONMENT Goal
- Goal: Build consistent routines so I can be more efficient and structured
- Action Steps: Define what routines I want to build, Establish steps to follow in each routine, Create a tracker for each routine, Select two routines to work on first so I don't get overwhelmed
- Timeline: Begin at the start of Q1-M1 (January)
FINANCE Goal
- Goal: Save enough money in my account so I can rent my own apartment
- Action Steps: Investigate apartment rent costs in my city, Find a good rent price range to settle for, Create a savings goal, Track my progress
- Timeline: Begin at the start of Q4-M1 (October)
HEALTH Goal
- Goal: Follow an exercise routine so I can live a happier, healthier life.
- Action Steps: Begin workouts for at least 30min x3/week at home, Create and use a workout tracker, Sign up for a gym membership, Find a personal trainer / an accountability partner
- Timeline: Begin at the start of Q1-M1 (January)
SOCIAL Goal
- Goal: Restart my Pokémon TCG hobby so I can have fun with friends
- Action Steps: Buy or trade for new sets of cards, Build a new battle deck, Meet up at local card shops for competitions
- Timeline: Begin at the start of Q3-M1 (July)
DEV Community Contributions
As I mentioned in my Business goal, I want to produce creative content online to teach others all I know and learn about web design (and development). I plan to post a lot of my writing content here on DEV Community (and a few other places too). I've shared my plans on how I can contribute the DEV Community this year below:
- Contribution Goal: Post meaningful and educational content each week on my DEV blog (CodeNewbie too!).
- Collaboration Plans: I hope to make good friends through posting and commenting on this platform! My plan is to write an article on programming education with a few interviews 😉
- Measuring Impact: I will review any feedback I receive from the community and conduct simple reports on my feedback like any comments, likes and bookmarks.
New Year, New Excitement
So far, it's looking a lot brighter these days in my life and I'm so excited to start on my new goals! I will personally track and review my progress on my goals using my own productivity system. Maybe I can do a quarterly update post to let you all know how things are going? Let me know what you think with a comment below!
Up Next
I'm getting started already on creating a workflow for my content! I look forward to posting again very soon!
About the Author ✨
Hello, Hello! My name is Khloe Brown. I'm a developer, designer, and educator from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. I create content around code, design and building a better life to help people of the internet improve their craft as well as themselves. Follow me for tutorials, courses, and projects on Development and Design as well as tips, advice, and lessons on what I’ve learned while Living a Good Life. Want to know more? You can find me on Twitter or Instagram!
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