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End of 2024 Recap: lessons learned, accomplishments, and hopes for next year

Wow, what a whirlwind of a year! I don’t know what it was about 2024 but it felt like a blur. Between reaching my blogging goal, buying a house, traveling, going to The Eras Tour… time has not stopped or slowed down for a second. But I really like this life 💖 so let’s talk about 2024 as a whole and what’s next!

Disclaimer: Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my blog!

Lessons learned in 2024 

I turned 30 this year which means I’m obviously all-knowing and wise now 😂 maybe not! But I definitely have learned a few things in my 30th year. Some things may be pretty basic and other things that I wish I didn’t have to learn. Maybe these insights will resonate with you or help you learn something too! 

1 – life can be lonely sometimes but that’s okay

I had a hard time this year when life started to get quiet. During the summer we had so many plans and things that needed to be done because we moved in August. Every weekend and even days during the week we had stuff going on. When that ended and life was less hectic I actually felt really lonely. I realized that life has seasons and sometimes those seasons feel a little lonely. It doesn’t mean you are alone or that you need to fill the empty time. It’s important to find a way to be content with yourself and life’s slower moments. 

2 – you can’t make people treat you the way you want to be treated 

Man, this one has been hard. When you realize that people you love and care about aren’t treating you the way you want and deserve to be treated it’s hard to just not care. However, hoping someone will magically change is also not healthy. Learning to let go of expectations and allowing friendships and relationships to change is a must – even when it makes you feel sad. It’s all part of life’s journey. 

3 – it’s really not about quantity, it’s about quality 

Starting my Patreon membership has shown me the people who really care about me and my content! Having a small group of supporters who truly love you and what you do is magical. Who needs 10k followers who don’t support you or care about you? You could have 10 people who support everything you do and I’m telling you, that’s all you need! That’s what matters! 

4 – getting enough sleep is crucial 

This is an obvious one but this past year I’ve really needed my sleep! Prioritizing sleep is important for your overall health which as I am getting older, I care a lot more about! I noticed that my anxiety actually gets better when I am well-rested. Crazy how that works lol.

5 – being on your phone is toxic 

As much as I love a good TikTok scroll, it’s just not good for me. I’ve realized that I’m very addicted to my phone and I really can’t stop. The days when I spend limited time on social media I am a lot happier. As soon as I start checking in on Instagram and scrolling I can feel the tension in my body. It’s just not really worth it anymore. I still love social media and watching funny videos and stuff but I know I need to reduce my time. Your overall happiness matters more than the instant gratification of social media. That’s been a tough thing to learn and even tougher to follow through with! 

6 – pivoting and changing is 100% okay and chances are no one is even paying attention 

I’ve done a lot of pivoting over the last few years but this year I’ve stopped caring so much about what people think. The reality is, no one is truly paying that much attention to you. People are inherently selfish. Do what feels right and change things when necessary. The people who really care about you/your content/your ideas/etc. will still be there! 

7 – good things come from opening up your social circle 

I’ve always been a welcoming and friendly person but 2024 was the year of reaching out and making more of an effort to make new friends. It’s been so lovely getting to know new people and now I have even more great friends. people start to drop off as you get older and having a support network is important. It’s okay to make new friends! Opening your social circle doesn’t mean ditching your old friends. It’s just opening your life to more love and happiness.  

8 – you have to let go of strict life plans and just go with the flow 

I’m a Virgo so having plans is in my nature! However, you cannot control everything. The disappointment you feel when you make up some plan or set some deadline and then not meeting it… it freaking sucks!! And for what?! Know your goals and your dreams but let them happen when they are meant to happen. I thought I’d be married when I was 25. I got married when I was 29. I’m glad it worked out the way it did because I was a literal baby still at 25. There should be no timeline when it comes to life which is hard but I’m realizing that things will happen when they happen and that’s beautiful. 

The exciting things of 2024…

A lot of great things happened this year. I’m super happy to say that I actually achieved a few of my goals! I’d say 2024 has been one of my best years yet. 

Honeymoon

I married my wonderful husband, Nick, in October 2023. We waited until early 2024 to go on our honeymoon. No regrets because we went on a fabulous trip to Hawaii and were able to “ball out” a bit more since we waited and saved some extra money. I shared all my favourite things and places in my March recap blog post but a few that STILL stick out to me even now are Lulus (yummy food and drinks and the BEST views), snorkeling and seeing turtles!!!, and Mokes Bread and Breakfast.

Reached my blogging goal

My goal for Life By Deanna this year was to reach 10k page views and I’m so happy to say that I did it! I really fell out of my blogging routine during the second half of the year because there was so much going on personally. It was crazy seeing my hard work from the past couple of years, especially the beginning of 2024 worked and I was able to maintain those page views. Such an accomplishment after blogging since 2021! It felt so amazing! 

Most popular Life By Deanna blog posts:

Bought a house 

It was over a year in the making but we bought a house in 2024! It was the coolest experience being able to watch our house get built and being involved in the process. It’s been a whole other adventure trying to furnish and decorate the house lol but it’s something that will be ongoing. Decorating for Christmas this year was amazing.

Started making money (a small amount) from the blog 

Another blogging accomplishment was getting accepted into an ad agency and finally making a few bucks from Life By Deanna. It’s not a lot but I am seeing a very small monthly income! Baby steps haha but being accepted and getting even a few dollars was something I’ve been working towards for a few years so that was very cool. 

Turned 30 

It was the big 3-0 birthday this year! I feel really good about turning 30. I know so many people struggle with that birthday but honestly, the older I get the happier I get. Life feels just a little bit easier. I’m more confident, I’m feeling more secure, and just overall, I’m getting a handle on this adulting thing. 30 has so far been one of my best years yet and I’m excited for the rest of my 30s! 

In my hosting era 

With the new house has come a new fun activity: hosting! I’ve always liked throwing parties and having people over but our space was so small. With more space, I’ve been able to have parties and host gatherings which has been a lot of fun! I’m still learning and I’m definitely not the best host 😂 but I’m trying and lots of memories have been made already. 

Created a consistent and healthy workout routine 

One of my bigger goals in 2024 was to get healthier. I’ve been working on a consistent exercise schedule for the last couple of years and 2024 I think I finally got it. Not only was I working out consistently, but I also lost 10 pounds. While the number on the scale is not the most important factor it was nice to see after not being able to lose any weight for the last 3ish years. 

Went to the Eras Tour 

And finally, on December 8th I have the absolute pleasure of attending the Eras Tour! Holy smokes was it amazing. One of the best days of my life. My best friend’s husband was able to snag us tickets when they went on sale but he kept it a secret from us for a whole year! He only told us the good news about a month before the concert. To say we were excited is an understatement! Taylor is seriously a goddess and I am so happy I got to experience it. 

My favourite things of 2024 

If you follow along with my monthly recaps you know I typically share a few of my favourite things each month. So, let’s chat about my ultimate favourites list for the entire year! 

Favourite shows/movies:

  • Lucifer 
  • Tulsa King 
  • Deadpool and Wolverine 
  • Brooklyn 99 
  • Fallout 

Favourite purchases:

Favourite books: 

Favourite recipes:

Hopes for the upcoming year: a list

I hope that 2025 is full of happiness and adventure.

I hope that I find my groove again with blogging (I think there is a good chance as I already have the first 2 months planned out!!)

I hope that I continue to grow as a person and find other people who are on the same wavelength. 

I hope that everyone reading this finds something they love to do whether that’s a job, a hobby, or a pastime. 

I hope you have people that love and support you with your biggest hopes and dreams. 

I hope that 2025 is transformative. 

I hope that we all have the motivation and energy to do the things we really want to do. 

I hope that my blog grows and I can get one step closer to my full-time blogging dreams. 

I hope that 2025 is a less lonely year for me (and you if you feel the same). 

I hope that everyone is healthy and happy. 

2024 end of the year recap
Hopes for 2025

A big thank you to all my readers. You guys keep me and this blog going. I appreciate everyone who keeps coming back! If you are new here, welcome :) I hope you stick around for another year of blog posts that are *hopefully* helpful and inspiring to your personal growth journey. 

Have a wonderful new year and best of luck in 2025 besties!

Until next time…

Deanna 🤍

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