There are just under two months left of 2024; is there a point in still going after your goals?

I’ve heard this sentence a lot lately: “I’m so ready for 2024 to be over. I don’t even care about goals or …….” and yes, I get you. I am also ready to move on with my life.

In the work world I hear the opposite. I call it the end-of-year-crazy and my one coaching client said the same thing to me a few weeks ago (so in our focus group of two across South Africa and Australia, we already know it’s not only us). Everyone wants to squeeze a year’s worth of work into two months. Madness.

I have a few thoughts though:

1. Two months are quick but they are not nothing. Whether you do or don’t do something, those two months are going to pass. Might as well make them count. If you wanted to read more, look through your list and choose a few books you really want to read, and read them. (I already have a folder on my Kindle with some Christmas books).
2. When you consider what you might still want to get done this year, don’t be a time optimist. Look at the calendar and factor in Christmas, school holidays and downtime at work for about two weeks. I just counted and even though there are six weeks, I guarantee that they will not be the six most productive weeks in the year – people are tired and might have their own things they want to finish off before they go on their annual leave.
3. Factor in the time available for the activity. E.g. with kids off school early in December, you will have more time for family things but not necessarily more time for work stuff.

The Big Planning Questions

Which one or two-step projects were important to you in January and are still important now?

Examples are getting your driver’s licence renewed (this was me!), getting your mammogram or gynae visit done (and I dearly hope your results are clear) and maybe opening that high-interest savings account (also me).

Which goals/ aims do you need to release?

I had weekends away on my list which I released long, long ago, but this is the type of thing that is probably not going to happen if it is not planned, scheduled and paid for already. Multi-step home projects may fall into this category too.

What is still on your SHORT list that you can give one last boost to before the end of the year?

I had a lot of friendship things – some can still happen but some will be deleted, definitely for this year, maybe for ever 😉