Looking to plan 2024 with ease and intentionality? Me too. Planning for 2024 felt different and what I wanted my year to be like. For once it wasn't only driven by income (that's always good though) but mostly how I wanted this year to FEEL, what I wanted my days to look like and really my life. When I started my business back in 2020, a lot of the education I learned about annual planning was mostly on data and numbers and while I FULLY believe those details are important to understanding what is working in your business, I felt I was becoming disconnected to what my purpose was and why I started.
I started JJ Paperie & Co in 2020 because I was drained from my old job, saw a lot of unhappy women (some who were moms in leadership roles) unable to pick up their kids or attend a family function because there was an event going on.
I actually missed my nephews high school graduation because of a work event and for me that was one of the moments I knew I wasn't going to let work dictate what I was able to do. Like many budding entrepreneurs, I wanted freedom.
However, even when I started JJ Paperie & Co, I did let work get in the way of prior commitments and while I'm still learning to be better at this, I'm leaning into creating 2024 to be a year of leading with joy & satisfaction.
But what does that really mean?
I want to keep this short, digestible and actionable so I would take a few minutes and sit with these prompts below:
- How do I want my days to feel like?
- What is my ideal day look like?
- Am I focused on life-forward moving tasks or busy work?
- What does the ideal version of myself do (for herself)?
- Where & with who do I want to spend most of my time?
- Is this (task, event, job, etc) getting me closer to where I want to be?
- How do I want to feel this quarter?
Once you have the general vibe of how you want your life, days to feel like and time given to, grab your calendar and jot down key dates that already exist. Notice where there are holes in your calendar to add some more time with friends or family. Want to rest one weekend? Block that out for yourself. Want to take your kids to a park? Block that weekend out.
While nothing will turn out as perfectly planned, intentionally planning and controlling how you want your time to be spent is well worth taking the time to look at.
When I did this for February, I noticed I had more time than I thought! This was great because I knew where I wanted to spend that time. I wouldn't recommend overstuffing it with committed plans - allow yourself to change your mind and go with what you're feeling. Give yourself some wiggle room.
So there you have it. Some ideas and prompts on planning 2024 with ease - leaning more into the feelings vs. just the numbers (numbers are great, just not the only thing I PERSONALLY think matter).
Hope you have a great 2024 & please let me know if you find these helpful!