2024 Yearly Theme

December 27, 2023

2023 was a year filled with changes that were mostly unexpected. It felt like five years condensed into one. Even though most of the changes were good (or at least not explicitly bad), the sheer number took a severe toll on me. I know I have no hope of stopping life in its tracks but as the Stoics said, one can only ever control one’s reactions. That was one thing I neglected in 2023. I let my emotions guide me and rarely took account of why I was reacting the way I was. I did things without conscious thought. In 2024, I want to be more mindful and go through my life with intention.

With that in mind, my theme for 2024 is mindfulness. The Stoics are obviously a guiding force in this area so I plan to revisit the classic works from Aurelius and Seneca along with modern interpretations and explorations of Stoicism. Mindfulness is not limited to the Stoics, though, so I plan on exploring other takes on mindfulness as well. This way of thinking helped me back in 2018 after my dad passed away and I’m hoping that by revisiting it, I can be a more active participant in my own life.

I have no idea what 2024 has in store for me but regardless of what’s on the horizon, I know that taking a mindful approach to my life is the best way to avoid being overwhelmed.