This year has been so unexpected! As I sat down to write up my year in review, I realized that I didn’t even write one for 2023. And I wonder if that’s because I’ve been hiding; not proud or secure enough in how I spent my time and what I’d accomplished. I had an idea that 2023 would be my year of stability, and it ended up being my most unstable year yet. But I didn’t want to let go of that idea.

So of course I pushed that idea to 2024. It would be my year of stability. But somewhere along the way this year, I abandoned that idea. I leaned into a few things I wanted to accomplish, but nothing so big that would set me up with the kind of stability, money, and routine that I had been looking for. Ultimately I think this year has been more about navigating my own thoughts, emotions, and relationships with others.

Letting Go

One thing that I think has been a strong thread for me in 2024 has been the idea of letting go. I’ve often heard the question, ‘what do you need to let go of’ as a reflection prompt. But usually I don’t really have anything that comes to mind. As I reflect on this year, it’s clear to me how the ideas, beliefs, habits, and even people we carry with us can be counterproductive to the life we want to live.

• In the beginning of the year, I let go of a relation with a man who I realized in December 2023 was not what I was looking for and could not give me what I wanted
• I let go of this strict view of where I could travel and why. I had been sticking to Latin America, but I wanted to go to Spain, so I went!
• I let go, or at least put a lot of effort into trying to let go of hurt from a past dating situation. I knew that if I didn’t, it could block me from something that could be beautiful
• I let go of the idea that the things I wanted or thought I needed would manifest in exactly the way I wanted or expected

Let Go, Let Flow…with Intention

This year I was simultaneously more intentional and more fluid. I had things that I wanted to accomplish and work on. But I also took opportunities as they came and let go of ideas about what I should be doing. I think that this was good because it allowed me to be more present in the things I was doing. But I recognize that at times it may have caused me to neglect some other things that are generally important to me. Here are some of the intentional and fluid things I did this year:

• Completed a certificate course load in Natural Language Processing (NLP)
• Participated in an in-person Data Engineering course that allowed me to grow that skill and meet some cool people
• Grew in and continue to grow in love in a new relationship
• Set recurring dates with certain family members to nurture our relationships
• Took an impromptu trip to Mexico with my boyfriend, leaving just five days after we even conceived of going somewhere
• Road trippin in Spain, both with a friend and solo
• Got my data science portfolio up and live
• Spent time with old friends

Acceptance

Every year that I do my Annual Life Review, this life assessment chart is always so interesting to me. It is very humbling to think about breaking our lives down into these specific buckets and then rating them. This year has probably been the year when I’ve gotten the most five and below ratings. Also the widest variance of ratings. 

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Health					x
Family / Friends							x
Love									x
Money					x
Career	x
Spirituality			x
Personal Growth								x
Fun								x
Technology					x
Environment						x

But you know what? I feel good. Letting go of trying to balance all the balls at the same time, I truly understand that we cannot have it all, all at once. There are some things in 2025 that I really need to get together. But I feel eager and confident to work towards those things.

I’m stepping into the new year with a clear plan. And the knowledge that I can and should give myself grace and pivot if and when that becomes necessary. I don’t think I’ll aim for 2025 to be my year of stability. I think it will be my year of building and growth. And I’m excited for it! What will 2025 be for you?