Life lessons from 2024: Embracing a Year of Joy
What has been the highlight of your year?
A couple of years back I was asked this question and at the time I struggled to think of something. However, the more I have learned and applied reflective practice into my life, I have started to see where learning and growth can often happen from those challenging moments we all pass through.
I've learnt over the years that it's always a good idea to set your intentions up front for what you want to achieve - be it the day, the week, the month or the year.
This year my intention for 2024 was to have a year of joy. Where I looked back and the overwhelming memory was of laughter smiles, shared moments with friends and family that just filled my heart.
Which meant a few changes, working differently and creating more time and space to spend time with friends, exercise and do more for me.
So, as we wrap up the end of 2024 let me share my key life lessons of this joyful year.
I can decide - don’t sit on the fence and let the decision be 'made' by procrastination
Perhaps one of the biggest changes I made in 2024 was relocating from Girona to Mallorca. For some this could appear as a rash decision, however there was about six months of thinking and conversations that led to the ‘instant’ decision. To move.
Back in January while in Adelaide for tour down under I had been offered an apartment to rent in Palma. While riding along the bike path to the beach to meet up with some friends I was listening to podcast about ADHD, procrastination and decision making.
The thing that struck me most was the concept that when you are sitting on the fence umming and aahing about a decision, if you procrastinate enough the decision is made for you and the opportunity is lost or decided as it passes you by.
Sometimes there isn't a right or wrong decision to be made, but choosing whether we do or don't do the thing sets the trajectory for our future.
In the case of moving to Mallorca I could have procrastinated and missed out because someone else took the apartment, I could decide to take the apartment move to Mallorca and realised it was the best decision ever, moved to mallorca and realised it wasn't the place for me.. or I could have stayed put in Girona and 6-12 months later looked back and realised that moment in January was when I should have made the decision to move.
It's the action that gives us confidence and feedback data that we can then make the next move from.
Create space to reflect and course correct with a sabbatical lifestyle
Over the last 12 months or so I have been creating space to write a draft manuscript for my first book, which delves into a lot of the life lessons I've learned from mistakes of years past.
While overall I am proud of the life I have created, when I take a moment to look back there are things that I have said yes to when I should have said no, and things I said no to when I should have said yes.
A common theme I have discovered that leads to this misalignment was a tendency to value what other people thought I should do over my own thoughts and opinions.
It begged the challenging question why I am I relying on external guidance but ignoring my inner guidance?
Many times we intuitively know the next step but something holds us back.
This is where learning more about ourselves and creating space in our lives to listen and tune in to when something is out of alignment.
An area I will be challenging myself more on in 2025 is allowing myself to exercise! This may sound crazy, but I realised I was saying yes to my clients dreams and desires and no to my own when it came to cycling. I would have planned a ride a client would say they really needed to see me, I'd help them out and then not have any time or energy left to ride for myself.
Intuitively I KNEW that I wanted and needed to ride more than I was but I was ignoring that need and feeling more out of alignment with myself.
Part of this is getting clearer on my boundaries, building rhythms and routines that create joy and help me live in the now not just in the future.
I've realised that when i have created space to train and ride for myself I have more energy and focus for my work which ultimately helps others more and helps achieve my mission of changing the culture of cycling nutrition
Create a sabbatical lifestyle What do I think needs to be done? Listen to my intuition create space in my life to reflect, listen and course correct
Let my hopes not my hurts guide my future
The third lesson that really hit home this year was to let my hopes not my hurts guide my future - especially when it comes to my personal life. Because, as anyone within my inner circles knows - when it comes to love, dating and relationships, it has been a bumpy ride.
Long story short in another lifetime I used to be married, my ex husband cheated on me and it has taken the best part of ten years to truly recover from that betrayal and learn to trust and be more open with men in a personal relationship context.
This year as a final step in my healing journey I have been reclaiming places where joy had been stolen from me.
Returning to Peru and walking the Salkantay Track to Macchu Picchu was a key part of that healing process. You'll have to wait for my book to come out to learn more!
I'm not going to lie, it was was a very shitty period in my life and I wouldn't wish betrayal like that upon anyone. But, that disappointment was the hitting rock bottom catalyst I needed to realise that I was on the wrong path, to reset my GPS and take action to start moving in a new more aligned direction.
I highly doubt that I would be where I am doing what I am today had that not occurred.
The key thing here though is to not get stuck in the past and allow it to steal your future and this has been a key phrase that has stuck with me this year as I create an intentional life full of joy.
Reframe disappointment- what if this is the best thing to happen to me?
Overall, this has been a year where I have focused on getting back in alignment, finding balance and joy within and setting the destination on the GPS for the next destination.
What have you learnt this year?
Here's to a great 2025!
Gemma
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