24 questions to look back on 2024
What valuable life lesson did you learn this year?
Most cool experiences happened because I initiated and/or organized them. So the life lesson could be „make it happen“.
What challenges did you overcome?
- starting a new job - this went rather smooth because I had a plan and a structure.
- the first weeks of pregnancy with extreme tiredness and nausea.
What new habits did you start?
- self hypnosis and other relaxation techniques.
- creating some form of art every week.
What are you the most proud of this year?
My body producing a small human from scratch.
What did you do for your career growth?
Starting a new job in a new domain (public transport) and taking on several different roles to grow and have more impact.
What did you learn about yourself?
I can work with my „inner team“ and tell specific characters (like the over-planner) to step back a bit and let other aspects of myself be more present.
How did you live by your core values?
They helped me make decisions and influenced my daily life.
(my values: courage, authenticity, creativity, mindfulness, autonomy, growth)
What was the best decision you took?
- almost every social occasion that I organized or took part.
- every outdoor trip.
- spending time at the mediterranean sea in September.
What would you do differently if you could?
- take a few days time off earlier in the year.
- don’t take the car to travel.
What did you let go of?
I managed to let go of perfectionism and high expectations towards myself, at least to some degree.
What are you thankful for this year?
- meeting some friends that I hadn’t seen for a long time.
- a spontaneous trip to Brügge (my first time in Belgium).
- a few days in the Black Forest.
- traveling the south of France
- the concerts I attended (MINE, Kaizers Orchestra, TOOL)
- spending time in Berlin with my partner, meeting friends and eating great food.
What was the best compliment you received?
- that I am able to connect to people at work quickly.
- positive feedback during my coaching course.
- a few compliments about my visualization skills.
How kind were you to yourself?
I became more self-compassionate during the pregnancy. I reminded myself that I am being productive all the time, even when I needed a break or when I couldn’t realize all the personal projects and ideas that I would have liked to pursue. I listened to my body more.
What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year?
Hiking. Being in the woods and in the mountains.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Working through all the feelings and bodily changes during pregnancy and feeling quite calm and ready for birth and for the baby in the end.
What was the best thing you bought?
I guess the best purchases were the ones I decided not to make.
Where did most of your money go?
Rent. (I live in the city of Zürich)
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- Some great food that I had. Like Chinese noodles in Berlin.
- Every little piece of art that I created.
- Every little walk on the beach.
- Every run.
- Every blog post that I published.
What do you wish you’d done more of?
- more running when I was physically able to.
- more cycling in spring.
- more swimming in summer.
- more blogging.
- creating more art.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
- over-planning and over-preparing for the baby.
- worrying.
- time with my phone in my hand, scrolling through feeds.
What was the best book you read?
I read 28 books this year. The two best books I read in 2024:
- "The book you want everyone you love to read" by Philippa Perry
- "Die With Zero" by Bill Perkins
What was your greatest musical discovery of the year?
Meditative and hypnotic stuff like Didgi-Taal and Reinhardt Buhr.
What was your favorite film?
I can count the movies I watched on one hand… My favorite was „Inside Out“ (the first one).
What kept you sane?
- our cat Momo, who moved in last June
- listening to the right music for the moment/emotions
- going to bed when feeling grumpy at night
PS
The questions are mostly from this list.