2024: New Beginnings

I haven’t blogged on here for two whole years… the longest I’ve been silent since I started the blog in 2011.

(I have been writing every 3 months at IndiAanya, though. You can click here to find all my contributions.)

This much-delayed post is a life update, 2023 year-in-review, and 2024 goals post – all in one!

So, a lot has happened in our family since I wrote about seeing God’s goodness in 2022.

• I quit the part-time online job I’d been holding since 2013.
• We started homeschooling our sons.
• My husband moved to a better, but more demanding job.

These 3 major changes all happened within 3 months, which caused a complete upheaval of our daily routines. Despite all the chaos, I must admit that the past two years have been a gift.

Getting to stay home with three teen sons for 2 whole years has indeed been a privilege. It wasn’t the smoothest journey… but we ALL did a lot of learning, forgiving, discipling, and growing!

And now that a new year has rolled around, I’m excited about the new beginnings to come!

Back to School

Our boys have successfully completed their 10th standard (6 months ahead of their peers) and are eager to join a regular pre-university college in June.

I too have decided to go back to college, albeit online. I’m pursuing my MA in Biblical Studies! I’m just a few weeks into the course but it’s looking good and I’m excited to get back to systematic learning.

New Year, New Goals

I didn’t set any goals at all in 2022 – just needed to take it slow after the chaos of the Covid days. In 2023, I eased back into goal setting… although I made real progress on only 3 fronts:

• Bible study (I completed my first ever Bible in a Year plan and Beth Moore Bible study)
• Fitness (150 days in the year – any intentional exercise that lasted 15 minutes counted)
• Marriage (Regular coffee dates and a few fancy dinner dates helped)

Now that 2024 is in full swing, I’ve been motivated to set a brand-new set of goals. The goals mostly fall under the following categories:

• Bible study – complete the New Testament and the Pentateuch
• Fitness – exercise 150 days (at least 20 minutes or 6k steps)
• Learning – basics of 3 languages, start crocheting
• Family – dates with the husband, a family vacation

I will be following the 90-day goal model as I’ve found that’s what works for me.

Going back to school, getting back to goal setting, and blogging here again… they aren’t much, but they are the new beginnings I’m excited about this year.

Sometimes, we wait for a new year, or a new month, to make intentional changes. But we don’t have to.

I like how Nicky Gumbel puts it:

“The good news is that each year is an opportunity for a fresh start. But then so is each week. Every Sunday is the first day of the week – a new beginning. Actually, every day is an opportunity for a new beginning.”

Are you looking forward to a new beginning this year? Perhaps it’s a life transition or a just a new habit/hobby you want to develop. I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Let’s make 2024 one for the books! I believe by God’s grace, we will 💪🏼😇.

Photo by Jan Tinneberg on Unsplash