2024 Recap
Lessons Learned From The Past Year
2024 has officially come and gone and I can’t help but feel the year was both fast and slow. For me, the past year was quite the rollercoaster of emotions and changes. From moving back to Alabama at the end of January, to getting adjusted to a new city and navigating a job that wasn’t fulfilling, to finding a new job that I actually find joy in, the ups and downs were drastic.
Some of you might feel the same, but I’m grateful to be turning the page to a new year. Not that 2025 won’t come without it’s own set of challenges, but the possibilities of a fresh start always leave me feeling eager and grateful.
2024 brought a lot of lessons I will carry with me moving forward. Even if in the moment I was not happy about the lesson I was being taught, I’m thankful to have made it through and survived with a new outlook. Coming out on the other side I can see why that journey was so important.
Sometimes You Go Through The Bad To Get The Good.
We’ve all heard some version of this before. You have to have the bad to get the good, you have to go through the hard times to appreciate the present, however you want to phrase it. I lived this phrase for the majority of the year, and at times it felt like I wasn’t ever going to make it to the good. But one thing I learned was you have to look at this part of your life as a journey, where you’re currently at is not the final destination. Everything is constantly evolving, you’re constantly moving down the road. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel. You might not know when or how it will change, but because life is full of growth and movement you can rest assured that you will reach the other side.
2. Trust His Timing
Going hand in hand with lesson one, trusting His timing was a huge lesson in 2024. Sitting in a job that made me miserable, I prayed and prayed for a different job, a different opportunity to present itself. All I wanted was to get out and do something, anything else. Job applications went unanswered or rejected, and I wondered why I was forced to sit in this position. The answer was He had something planned for me that just wasn’t ready yet. I needed to trust in Him that he would move me along when it was right and not just because I wanted to. From this I was able to get a job that I love, and now I’m so grateful I had to wait for this opportunity to become available. I also feel closer to Him having gone through this time where everything was so unknown. I truly had to rely on Him for the good. It’s definitely not easy, but I’m grateful.
3. The Little Things Mean So Much
In facing it all, whatever situation you’re in, the little things can make a world of a difference. The girls nights, the hobbies you invest in, the relationships you build, an afternoon to yourself, building your library, going on a walk in the sun after work. We all have the bad habit of tending to only focus on the big picture, letting the little moments in life pass us by. But those moments carry just as much, if not more weight. Taking time to appreciate the little happys in your life will help you look at everything overall as much brighter. Once you start paying attention and fully taking in these moments, they can be what grounds you.
I’m excited to see what 2025 brings, and am hopefully for a year that is filled with joy. With my lessons from 2024 in my back pocket, I feel ready to continue to grow, evolve and face what this year has to offer. Cheers!