The world in 2024

In 2024, the world witnessed significant political changes and upheavals, escalating conflicts, advancements in technology, and economic growth.

In the United States, Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race, and former President Trump both survived an assassination attempt and was convicted of multiple felonies, all the while securing re-election for his second term with Elon Musk as a key advisor to DOGE.

Conflicts grew in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and surrounding Lebanon and Iran, continued between Russia and Ukraine, and appeared internally as Syria’s leader Assad was overthrown.

Widespread adoption of self-driving cars in the Bay Area and Phoenix signify technological progress, along with advancements in artificial intelligence such as enhanced capabilities in image generation and research.

The US stock market has seen overall growth, with the Magnificent 7 Stocks paving the way: Apple, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta Platforms, and Tesla. The rest of the world has seen moderate growth.

But look, 2024 is more than just the complex game of politics, technology, conflicts, and the economy. 2024 was also about us and our personal achievements and failures.

You in 2024

Personal reflection is key to personal growth. And as cheesy as it sounds, it’s important to remember that the outcome of our achievements and failures are just as important as the journey.

Now in December, as January 2025 comes nearer by the second, it’s time to reflect on both the journey and the outcome.

I put together some questions that can either start your goal-setting session or enhance it. It’s important to note that this exercise focuses 75% of the questions on reflection and only 25% on looking forward. Taking one look back enables our vision to be clearer looking forward.

Part 1: Reflecting on the Past Year

Let’s start with some questions focusing on the journey and outcomes of this year. To jog your memory, look back at journal entries or your notes app, photos from the year, or even calendar events or messages. And most importantly, stay honest with yourself!

A) Reflecting on the Journey

1. What habits, routines, or mindsets helped you stay on track with your goals? Which ones held you back?

2. What was the most valuable lesson you learned about yourself while working toward your goals?

3. How did you adapt to challenges or unexpected changes that arose throughout the year?

4. How do you feel about your journey in 2024?

B) Reflecting on Outcomes (Successes & Failures)

1. What accomplishments are you most proud of from this past year? Why?

2. What goal did you struggle with the most, and what factors contributed to that?

3. Which outcomes (successes or failures) taught you the most, and how did they shape you?

4. How do you feel about your achievements and downfalls in 2024?

Part 2: Setting Goals for Next Year

Now it’s time to look forward to 2025. We can start with these questions:

A) Use last year’s goals as a starting point

1. Which goals from last year can you expand upon? How can you step it up a notch?

2. Which goals are you copying and pasting from last year? Why did you not achieve it yet? Is it still important for you, and why?

B) Set out to achieve more

1. What areas of your life (e.g., health, relationships, career, personal growth) do you want to prioritize next year, and why? Is the priority different from 2024?

2. What specific goals would excite and challenge you, while still feeling achievable?

3. How will you measure progress toward these goals, and what systems or support can you put in place to stay on track?

4. How do you feel about your list for 2025?

Ode to the new year

I hope these questions can either inspire you to start or help you refine your new year’s resolutions. It’s always more fun to do this exercise with a friend or a group of trusted peers.

Personally, I like having multiple iterations of my resolutions throughout December to truly understand what I want and need. Usually, these iterations come from having conversations with different people offering different perspectives, or simply with the passage of time (hence the importance of not waiting until the last day of the year).

I have started my first draft already on a coffee date, and will meet with my group of intergenerational women (we called ourselves the Wisdom Web 🤪) to do another exercise before the end of the year.

If this exercise has helped you, let me know. And if you have any suggestions for improvement, feel free to reach out.

Next week, I will share a high level overview of my own personal reflections from this year. More to come!