This piece I’m writing…it scares the hell out of me. I mean it scares the gluten-free, whole-grain, low-cholesterol hell out of me.
See, I’ve taught myself — through fear and a deep scarcity mindset — that I can’t declare big things for my life. If I speak my good things into the world, then something will inevitably come up and cut my head off so I can’t get the thing I declare for myself.
The analogy I use is this. I am in a rice paddy in Vietnam and I have to keep my head on a swivel to keep from getting picked off by Charlie sitting in the trees. When I let my guard down and declare good things in my life, that’s when Charlie will drop me.
So…in service of ending that story once and for all, I’m going to do something a little radical — at least in my mind. I am about to declare some things I want to accomplish for myself in 2024.
I’m setting a reminder for myself to check this piece and my progress for December 11, 2024.
Let me take a sip of my tea that’s burned off all semblance of taste buds from my tongue and make these declarations.
- I will re-double my running efforts over the new year. I will work myself up to a 5K by my birthday and I’ll be able to run a full 5K a month before the year ends.
- I will join a gym again! I have not been inside of a gym since Covid. My financial situation and COVID have (in my scarcity mindset mind, at least) prevented me from being able to afford a gym. But I know I have always felt better after a good weight session. And you know what gyms also have…treadmills for when the weather is sub-optimal running weather! Which Connecticut seems to have a lot of.
- I want to get out of my current employment situation. After releasing a new book that I have devoted my entire soul to over this year, I find myself worried about an email that my boss sent me at 3 AM requesting a meeting. In my heart, I’m sure it’s for a timesheet issue I emailed him about yesterday, but my scared little boy brain can’t stop worrying about it. I deserve better. I’ve worked for better. And I will be out of my current job no later than my birthday!
- I will make six figures in revenue in my publishing and coaching business next year. And the seeds in that have already been planted!
- I have spoken a big game about this declaration for years but I’ve been terrified to take action. I want a girlfriend. I truly believe in my heart that an amazing woman is out there waiting to meet me. I’m ready. Is she?
- It has been since 2017 since my feet touched Alabama soil. And that must change! There are dozens upon dozens of unhugged necks — with my own sister at the top of that list. I want to hang out in Tuscaloosa again. I want to visit — with Ivy — the RISE school on the UA Campus. The nationally-renowned school for special needs children that our mother helped start almost 50 years ago. I want to see the Crimson Tide do their thing in person next season.
- I am in desperate need of live music. I want to visit my old friends at the Capitol Theatre again. I want to review more shows. I would LOVE to see one of Billy Joel’s shows at MSG.
- Also, I want to see some more baseball this next year. And not just seeing a game in Yankee Stadium. But Brooklyn has a minor league team. Hartford, CT has a minor league team with the second-best name I have ever heard. The Rocket City Trash Pandas name > Hartford Yard Goats name.
- Next spring around a certain author’s birthday — novel number three will be coming out. “The Roots of Joy” is an emotional rollercoaster you don’t want to miss.
- “Expanding Man Chronicles — Volume 2” will be coming out next December. I’ve already got a man committed to joining us and I’m actively enrolling new authors as we speak. This is going to become a Royal Hearts holiday season tradition.
- I made a list of the top 20 dream podcast guests a couple of years ago. And I haven’t had any on my podcast as of yet. But to be fair, I also haven’t been working on that either. It’s time to change that. Also to be fair, my first entry on that list was Henry Aaron so that can’t happen in this lifetime.
- Finally, I am declaring and confirming this. I will love myself — wholly and completely. It’s time. I deserve it. It’s time.
I can’t stand the concept of New Year’s resolutions. I am starting a new tradition of New Year’s declarations!
The seeds of a huge life were planted in 2022.
The seeds have started sprouting in 2023.
I’m hungry for some fruit, I don’t know about y’all.
2024…the year of the fruit!
