Should you start planning for 2024 now?
While new year’s has traditionally been the time to start planning for resolutions and goals, it might be a good idea to get an early start.
Oftentimes, our goals and action plans don’t unfold as they should. Obstacles arise, deadlines come and go, and our good intentions fall by the wayside. Instead of waiting around for the new year to arrive, why not take action on your life right now?
Let’s take a look at some of the signs that you need to kickstart your plans for 2024 now.
1. You feel stuck
You’re bored with your current job or daily routine. You know that there are better opportunities out there but you’re not exactly sure how to find them.
If you’re feeling stuck, then don’t wait around for next year.
Start planning for your goals now so that you can create a little bit of momentum for yourself heading into the new year.
First, figure out what needs to change. What in your life could use some activation? Are you feeling ambivalent about your career? Do you want more excitement in your life? Are you bored with where you are? All of the above?
Next, think about the small things you can do to energize your life right now. If you’re feeling blasé about your career, then sign up for an interesting class that has nothing to do with your current role. Or if you’re feeling bored with your everyday routine, challenge yourself to take one small risk a day, like inviting someone you respect out to coffee.
Start implementing these changes now so that you can gradually build momentum to get you up and running come 2024.
2. You feel jealous
Thanks to social media and LinkedIn, you're constantly getting barraged with other people’s good news. Whether it’s hearing about someone’s engagement or new house, or landing a big promotion at work, it’s easy to feel jealous of other people’s fabulous lives.
Jealousy is an emotion that can eat you up inside. It brings up complex feelings of both guilt and resentment. You feel bad for not being happy for a coworker’s good news. But at the same time you can’t help but wonder: when will it ever happen for me?
But there’s a good side to jealousy.
If you’re feeling jealous, it’s a strong sign that you need to start planning for 2024 right now.
That’s right. Your jealousy is trying to tell you something. It serves as an inner compass pointing you in the direction of where you want to go in your life. Do a little emotional investigating and see if you can figure out what’s really behind the jealous feelings.
As Julia Cameron says: “My jealousy had actually been a mask for my fear of doing something I really wanted to do, but was not yet brave enough to take action toward.”
So if you’re jealous that a coworker received a promotion, do some self-reflection. Do you wish that you had your coworker’s go-getter attitude? Your jealousy could be telling you that you want to be more proactive with your career.
Once you get to the bottom of your jealousy, you can start being honest with yourself about what you want to do. Want to be more of a go-getter? Then offer to manage the next big work project. Or seek career advice from a colleague you admire.
If jealous feelings are coming up for you, don’t ignore them. It’s a strong sign that you want to be taking action in your life and on your goals. Jealousy doesn't have to weigh you down. It can help you kick off 2024 on a positive and productive note.
3. You have free time
The end of the year is usually a frenzy of holiday parties, family gatherings, and finishing up your work on time. But then, in those last few days of December, the world seems to finally slow down.
Things might pick up again in January and you may not have the time to sit down and actually think about all the things you’d like to accomplish in 2024. So take advantage of this lull in your calendar and start planning for the new year.
Reflect on your experiences and challenges this past year, consider the ways that you can improve moving forward, and define the goals that you’d like to tackle once January rolls around.
By planning right now, you’ll feel confident and prepared when the new year rings in.
4. You want to develop a new habit
Maybe you want to introduce a new positive habit like meditating or waking up earlier. Or maybe you want to drop a bad habit like biting your nails or smoking.
If you want to modify your habits, then it’s always a good idea to start implementing these changes now.
It can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to develop a new habit. Factors such as your current lifestyle and the specific habit you’ve chosen can affect how long it takes to integrate it.
That’s why you’ll want to start making moves to adopt this habit now. You can make the necessary changes to your environment or daily routine, and see what makes your habit stick.
For example, if you’re looking to exercise more, you can experiment with different workout routines and fitness apps. And then you can see what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be modified.
When you have ample time to develop a new habit, you’ll give yourself a better shot at success.
5. You want to tackle a big goal
Whether it’s buying a new house or moving to a new city or writing that dream novel, big goals take time and effort to achieve.
Why not start planning for your 2024 goal now so that you give yourself enough of a buffer to try things out?
You don’t want to be halfway into 2024 to realize that you need to change your entire goal-setting strategy. Plan your goal now so that you have sufficient time to measure your progress, monitor changes, and course correct when real life gets in the way.
Jumpstart your 2024 plans now and you’ll set up a strong foundation to achieve success in the new year.
Written by JiJi Lee.
