By Heather Mechler-Fickes

I can’t believe another year is almost behind us! It feels like this year went by faster than ever.
I always look at the new year as a clean slate. My birthday is in the beginning of January, so I always feel like it’s a fresh start. I like to think I’m one year wiser, and I’m always optimistic that it will be my best year yet!

I used to make resolutions and write them in a notebook. I felt it was a great way to set a strategy in motion. I set up a plan to accomplish my goals and found it rewarding when they were met. Of course, some were short-lived and never amounted to much.

This New Year some of my resolutions aren’t necessarily to achieve anything. I guess I’m approaching 2024 with a different mindset.

This year, I want to be more present…more engaged in the moment and not focused on my phone and social media. If I am out with my family and spending time with my kids, I’m going to make a point to put my phone away. I don’t need to be on social media or checking my email all the time. Simply put, I want to be in the moment… 100%… and give my children my attention instead of being preoccupied with other less important stuff.

This past year was a real eye opener. My oldest child graduated from high school and a few months later left for the Navy. If I am lucky, I will see her during the holidays. More and more, I realize time goes by so fast and moments with children should be cherished.

I also want to be more thankful and conscious about the great things in my life, rather than going down the rabbit hole about what has gone wrong or what I think needs to be improved. Some things are just fine the way they are and I want to focus on what is positive.

I want to appreciate good health – for myself and my family – and I need to be grateful for the wonderful friends I have in my life. I want to live each day doing what I love to do and use the talents that I have been given to the best of my ability.

In 2024, if I remember all that I have to be thankful for – instead of all the stuff I could be unhappy about – it will be the best year yet. Happy New Year and blessings to all of my readers.

Jen Bailey

Hi! I’m Jennifer Bailey and I partner with entrepreneurs who have massive ideas that could change the world. Most marketing is meaningless. Filled with empty promises, its only job is to bring in new traffic, new leads, and new customers. But I’ve drawn a line in the sand, and I’ve learned that marketing can do so much more than reach business goals and build profit. My methods give businesses the fire and soul they need to reach the right people, set the groundwork for sustainable relationships, and offer true value to the people on both the giving and receiving ends of marketing.

Read more about me here