My Favorite Things from 2024

What resonated, inspired, and energized me, and what I hope might help you in 2025.

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2024 has been incredibly special because I embarked on an entirely new chapter of my life and career. I went from startup executive to sabbatical taker to writer-artist-solopreneur. I’ve written about many of these experiences this year, but not all.

In this last post of 2024, I share my favorite products and experiences that made this year so memorable. The general themes? Health, wellness, learning new skills, and exploring my inner world.

Enjoy and perhaps there are a few you might want to try in the new year!

Health & Wellness

I wanted to start the list with well-being because without our physical and mental health, so much of our leadership capacity, our creativity, and our stamina are limited.

For many folks, certain health conditions are out of your control. But if you can make a difference, investing in yourself is one of the most important ways to up-level your impact and improve your likelihood of success.

1. Running in Community 5Ks

I had given up on running in races 10 years ago when I had kids. I was badly out of shape and I just didn’t think I had it in me. I never was fast, but I found the pressure I put on myself during races made them too stressful and no longer fun.

Earlier this year, I said, “Why not try again?”

So I set a goal of 3-4 5Ks and guess what? I did it! The one pictured above was my third and it was a doozy — a very hot and humid May day. It felt fantastic to finish!

The best part?

I loved being part of my local community. There is nothing like the music, the people, and the energy of a community race. Being connected to others has been scientifically proven to improve your happiness and longevity. Community races are such an easy way to create connection and support your physical health.

Try It Tip: Don’t create any pressure on yourself to finish by a certain time or a certain way. Just be happy if you show up. Start slow and enjoy the people and the atmosphere. And don’t forget to celebrate afterward!

2. Youtube Workout Videos

As someone who has “donated” thousands of dollars to gyms in the past, I have been loathe to join another gym until I can prove to myself that I will consistently go.

As a mom and executive, I found it hard to fit a visit to the gym into my schedule, but during the pandemic, when work from home became the norm, I started to do 10 and 15 min Youtube workouts.

I gradually increased my time commitment to 20-30 min and sometimes even 45 min (Wow! I know!). The Youtuber who helped me get consistent and feel good about being a beginner? Maddie Lymburner of Madfit. Her workouts are a varied in time, areas of focus, good for small spaces with and without equipment. As someone with chronic neck pain, I also love her standing only exercises. She also has wrist-friendly ones.

Try It Tip: I tried a number of different Youtubers. You can, too. Don’t get discouraged if one doesn’t work or you don’t like the music or exercises. Sample as many as you like and start small. 10 minutes can make a huge difference even if you start out doing it once a week. Gradually increase to 3-4x a week and then inch your way up in duration and frequency over time.

3. Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

I write about mindfulness often because it has profoundly helped me to be more present, less reactive, and more grounded.

A trusted friend recommended that I try an MBSR course to help me strengthen my meditation practice and learn more about the science behind it. For those who haven’t heard of these programs — they were started by Jon Kabat-Zinn as a way to make mindfulness practices more accessible to the general public and to leverage science to make them less woo woo.

After a bit of research, I choose the Palouse Mindfulness program, which is free and self-paced. I loved the freedom to go through it as I pleased. I also found the weekly meditation sessions hosted by teachers around the world to be incredible. My teacher, Corine Caffort specializes in loving-kindness meditation and helped me heal and feel reconnected with my heart.

The teachings in the program were incredible, well-researched, and digestible. If you aren’t sure if meditation is right for you but are curious and willing to invest a few hours a week for ~8 weeks, MBSR is a wonderful way to get a taste.

Try It Tip: Choose a more structured and facilitated program if you don’t think you will find the motivation to complete a self-paced program. You know yourself best and there are so many programs available, take the time to find the right one for you.

4. Dr. Helen Hall: How Posture and Walking Helps You Run Farther with Less Pain

As I have restarted running, I occasionally have felt some pain in my knees. I almost stopped running again completely because I was scared of doing permanent damage.

Then I listened to Dr. Ranjan Chatterjee’s podcast featuring Dr. Helen Hall, and I recommitted to running and even increasing my distance to 10Ks. She shared a number of valuable ideas, but the most astonishing for me was how important our posture is to reducing injury and how walking in intervals when you run is the key to being able to finish longer races.

Dr. Hall has completed 8 Ironman and coached her clients to not only complete marathons but do so with a smile through her scientifically proven approach.

Did you know that if your head is forward by even 30 degrees from it’s optimal position, it’s like carrying a second head on your neck and shoulders? As someone with chronic neck pain, this is a life-changing idea. Mis-positioning your head doesn’t just hurt you neck and shoulders, it can affect your hips, your knees, and more. I now do regular repositioning exercises throughout the day and although this is still new to me, I already feel so much better.

Dr. Hall also debunks the cultural norm that you haven’t finished a race if you haven’t run the entire race — it’s really nonsense. Historically, humans would track animals for over 40 miles, but they didn’t run the entire way. They ran and they walked. It’s how we were meant to move. Walking is also the most effective way to recover physically and mentally, which is great during a race since you’re still moving forward.

So this next year, I’m going to try my first 10K. How? With better posture and using running and walking intervals.

Try It Tip: Not sure how to get started running? Start small and start slow. Consider joining a running club and using an app. There are so many out there. If you’re like me, you can just start with a slow jog for 5-10 min and then work your way up over time. And if you follow Dr. Helen Hall, you can jog and walk in 1 min intervals, 50 steps, or whatever increment works for you. Just get yourself moving and without pain.

Creative Pursuits

As leaders, our work requires us to be thoughtful and planful in how we guide our teams, set strategy, track our progress, and make pivots as needed. The strongest leaders have an ability to be creative problem solvers and untethered visionaries.

How do you access your creative thinking? Work might be where you get inspired, but for some of us, we need to go outside of the office to get our “out-of-the-box” thinking going.

Here are some of the ways I chose to get my creative juices flowing in 2024.

1. Return to Childhood Passions

I returned to oil painting this year after 3 decades away (I took one class when I was in middle school and then never again) as I prioritized my other career and financial needs.

Restarting was both a dream and it was a bit daunting.

I didn’t know how to set up a palette, how to clean my brushes, how to mix certain colors, and even how to lay out a still life on the canvas. It was such a wonderful reminder of the beauty and the stress of being new to something.

And despite some of the stresses, I found my groove in large part due to The Ridgewood Art Institute community and my teacher, Rebecca Leer. Finding a great teacher and a community is essential to helping you try a new hobby or return to a prior one. I have now been painting 2 days a week for nearly 3/4 of a year and I couldn’t imagine it any other way. I can’t wait to tackle landscapes and portraits in the future.

Try It Tips: If you have something you’ve been longing to try or return to, before you dive in, make sure you have the time to commit to it. There is only one thing worse than not starting something, starting it and finding out you don’t have the ability to keep it up.

Start with a time bound commitment. Perhaps a 4 week class at your local community center or community college. You might even be able to take a class online if that makes the logistics easier for you.

And don’t forget to budget for the costs associated with your hobby — oil painting is both time consuming and expensive (canvases, paint, solvents, frames, classes, brushes — they all add up). Budgeting in advance will ensure you aren’t surprised when you see your bill at the end of the month.

2. Take a Writing Class

I have never thought of myself as a writer… until this year. I love reading books and can get lost in bookstores and libraries. I always have a book in hand. But writing? No, I’ve always felt my writing was less than stellar. Not organized enough, not compelling enough.

But as I entered 2024, I thought, “why not?” If am hoping to build a coaching and advisory practice where I can help people beyond my immediate network, writing is a wonderful way to expand my reach and learn a skill that I have always wanted to hone.

Enter the Fearless Writing Challenge with Tim Denning + Todd Brison. I signed up in March for the May challenge. 28 days straight of posting on X. It was everything that Tim and Todd billed it to be. It was fun, it was daunting, and it helped me overcome my 5 biggest obstacles:

1. Imposter syndrome that I have nothing of value to add to the world

2. No one cares about what I have to say

3. Fear that people might actually see what I have to say and judge it less than worthy

4. Creating a schedule to write

5. Developing a set of topics that I feel passionate enough to write about every day

I still grapple with some of the above, but they no longer hold me back from writing every day and publishing almost every day each week. This newsletter is one example. I would have never started nor persisted in writing a newsletter if I had not taken this course. It was lifechanging.

Try It Tip: Have you ever thought about writing online but had some of the same fears I listed above? Do you feel you could be a more effective communicator? Do you have ideas you want to share, but aren’t sure how to share them? Try taking a course. Tim and Todd’s is great and there are many others out there. Find a writer who resonates with you, read their testimonials, and take a spin with them. You might be surprised what you learn.

Note: My link above to Tim and Todd’s class is an affiliate link which means I will get a nominal fee if you sign up to their Fearless Writer Challenge. Let me know if you do!

3. 100 Day Project

As I started to dive into creative endeavors in 2024, I came across the 100 Day Project. For 100 days, you commit to a creative project. You work on it every day during that period, periodically posting updates as you see fit. It started February 18th in 2024 and the organizers will pick a new date for 2025. If you are a paid subscriber to the newsletter, you’ll get access to prompts and additional support during the 100 days.

Many people, like me, don’t finish all 100 days, but the sense of community, the wealth of creative ideas and outputs, and the sense that you have something that is ready to be poured forth for the world to see — it makes starting it worth it.

Try It Tip: Not sure if you have 100 days of creativity in you? Do this with a friend or a family member. Some people choose one specific project while others pick a theme or a medium to use. The 100 Day Project website and newsletter give plenty of ideas and use the hashtag on Instagram to find hundreds of examples to inspire you. Don’t get hung up on the number days. Just get started and see where the project takes you.

Mindset & Personal Philosophy

The saying that “we are our own biggest enemy” is one that is rooted in a lot of truth. The saboteurs in our heads overuse our strengths and abuse them. They tell us lies about what we can and cannot do. They “should” us and keep us in a fight or flight fear mode.

Investing in creating a healthy mindset and clarifying your personal philosophy is a way to help you be less reactive and more clearheaded in your decision-making, communications, and relationships.

1. Go on a Retreat

The photo above is from the first of two retreats I went to in 2024 hosted by my dear friend and phenomenal coach & writer, Melissa Bloom. They were three of the most rejuvenating days at the beautiful Inn at Twin Linden in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Getting away from your day-to-day routine is one of the best ways to help you reset and restore yourself. You can do this alone or in a group. You can follow a schedule or keep it open-ended. Melissa’s retreats are a bit of all of the above. All of the activities are optional and the group of women who attend these gatherings are just phenomenal. Everyone leaves feels more connected and supported.

Try It Tip: Get clear on what you are looking to accomplish in a retreat. Is it rest? Clarity about your next steps? Investment in your physical health? Many retreats tackle more than one area, but most have a focus and you want that focus to align with your goals.

Reach out to the organizer and see if you can talk with them to get a sense of their vibe. See if there are past participants you can also speak with or read their testimonials. Unless you have a particular destination in mind, consider a retreat that is nearer to your home to reduce travel costs and time. Once you learn what you like, you can invest in more exotic and retreats located farther away.

2. Read an Inspiring Book or Poem (maybe by Kobi Yamada)

My friend, Melissa Bloom, gave me this book earlier this year when I was in transition from my last job. It was so illuminating, heartwarming, and inspiring. I can’t say enough good things about this book and highly recommend it as a gift to yourself or someone you love.

Reading something that lifts you up can be an incredibly effective way to help you reframe, reset, and rejuvenate yourself. I like to keep books like this near me or readily accessible and to regularly revisit their words and images as a way to give me a boost.

Try It Tip: Ask friends for recommendations, search online, or subscribe to newsletters to find what resonates with you. There are endless sources of content that can nurture your spirit and give you fodder to fuel your passions. Don’t worry if something doesn’t land for you. Move on and give the next piece a try. When you find something that lands, take a photo, buy the book, copy it down. Don’t let it slip away and make time to reference it periodically. Use it like a vitamin for your soul.

3. Develop Self-Command & Manage Your Saboteurs (Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine)

I’ve shared a bit about Positive Intelligence in prior posts this year, so I won’t go into deep into this one. Suffice it to say that I don’t maintain a ton of daily habits, but using the Positive Intelligence app to help me shift from Saboteur to Sage is one that I continue to do months after the initial program.

Being able to manage your thoughts is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.

Cultivate Your Community

In this last section, I wanted to simply highlight all of the communities and people that helped me navigate a year of significant change.

1. Friends & Family — So many people checked in on me throughout the year. My return to social media accelerated this and I’m so grateful for all of my renewed connections and their support.

2. Accountability Partners — In each of the courses I took this year, accountability partners were a key element. It’s something I took for granted in the corporate world. I cultivated relationships like this but at the C-level, you often can’t maintain these within the same organization. These relationships sustained me in all of my creative and business endeavors this year and I can see them being essential in 2025 and beyond.

3. Subscribers + Clients — I still can’t believe I was able to launch my practice and immediately have people willing to commit space in their day, their week, and their pocketbooks to me and my services. I have been and remain eternally grateful to all of my early readers (you!) and my clients.

4. Substack — Out of all of the social networks, this community, which I only joined in September has been the most surprising. The people I’ve met are all building something. They are navigating challenges, committed to delivering value, and willing to be vulnerable and supportive. It’s been a privilege to be among them.

This list of 2024 favorites was a lot longer than I expected, and it only contains half of what I had planned to shared. Whew! That’s a sign of a great year, right? So much that brought me joy, wisdom, and a desire to explore more in 2025.

🫶 I wish you the very best in this coming new year.

May your goals feel clear.

May your relationships be strong.

And may you have the ability to practice and play your way to joy and success!

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