Closing 2024

2024 has come to an end, continuing the trend of being the new best year of my life so far. I’ve made many meaningful changes and learned a lot about myself in the process. One big realization is that I freeze up when I feel overwhelmed by big things I can’t control. Current events and the news cycles contribute to this greatly. It’s tempting to get sucked into the void of spending the day motionless, glued to screens, and scrolling social media.

One of the best ways I’ve found to combat those feelings of helplessness is by taking small, actionable steps and focusing on what I can control. To measure my progress and stay on track, I’ve leaned heavily into collecting data about my days. 🧠

The Power of Checklists

This year, I embraced checklists to manage my to-dos and self-care. In August, I took it a step further and created an app with weighted checklist items—tasks I know are good for me—and began tracking my activities daily. I don’t ever forget to use my app because it occasionally notifies me if I am having a “Bad” or “Meh” day, prompting me to do more tasks to up my score.

Here’s a snapshot of the past four months: a chart showing me (slowly but surely) becoming a slightly better adult over time.

The peaks and valleys in the data tell a story. I’ve realized I don’t need to knock every day out of the park to make progress or feel good about myself. Some of my “Meh” days are actually holidays or special occasions, so some of the “lows” are really good days even though I didn’t complete many checklist tasks. This has inspired me to add mood tracking to my 2025 data so I have better insights going forward.

Exercise: My Journey to Health

In 2023 and 2024, I started taking my health seriously—reversing years of letting my body “rot” in front of a computer. Stretching, which I began in October 2023, has been a game changer. It’s improved my flexibility and balance and even eliminated my frequent cluster headaches. Looking back, I can’t believe I spent so much time working and studying without realizing that just 20 minutes of stretching daily could have prevented so many health issues.

Historically, I relied on gym access for workouts, but working from home and the pandemic taught me not to rely on that to get my workouts in. During my move from Utah to Michigan in 2023, I had to get rid of bulky home workout equipment, which was a hassle. Now, I avoid investing in large, heavy gear—I don’t have the space, and I’ve found alternatives that work better.

Enter Pilates

Pilates has been a revelation. In just a few months, it’s delivered faster, more noticeable progress than anything else I’ve tried. Stretching laid the foundation for this by improving my flexibility and balance, proving that even small fitness wins can unlock bigger opportunities.

Alongside Pilates, I mix in strength training and cardio. After a Dexa scan a few years ago revealed I have low bone density, I’ve made resistance training a priority as I age. To get more cardio at home, I bought a mini fitness trampoline. At least once a week, I roll that thing out into the living room, strap ankle and wrist weights on, and jump while watching TV—it’s unconventional, but it works. 🤣

Accountability as a Feature

Despite my personalized workout solutions, I still wanted some form of accountability—or at least the illusion of it. So, I added a feature to my app: automated workout tweeting. 😄 Now, whenever I complete a workout, I click a button, and the app tweets it for me.

Elon Musk has ruined Twitter, and tweeting often feels like shouting into the void, so I don’t mind using my Twitter for this purpose. The illusion that someone might notice keeps me motivated. Yet another “it’s weird, but it works” trick of mine. 😊

Looking Ahead

With these systems in place, I’m hopeful for a healthy and happy 2025. 🤞 My key takeaway this year has been that small progress often leads to big breakthroughs. Momentum matters, and focusing on the little things I can control can turn bad days around.

Want to see how I’m doing today? Check out a subset of my app here.