Reflections and Resolutions

I’m publishing this on the last day of 2024.

I wrote the blog “It’s 2024!” on the second day of 2024 with some resolutions I hoped to accomplish this year.

On the second day of 2024, my life was pretty much exactly as it had been for the previous six-ish years. I had the same job, it was my son and I in an apartment in Texas, I wanted to become a published author, and I was clinging to the world thanks to my weekly, Thursday at 2:00 PM, therapy appointment.

On February 26, 2024, I learned my son had been kicked out of his second afterschool daycare in four months. I’m not going to go into the details, but my baby struggled at school and in daycare during his kindergarten school year.

On February 27, 2024, I submitted a two week notice to my job and planned to move back to my hometown in Kentucky.

It seems like a rash decision, but there was something in me that knew I would not be able to manage my son trying a third afterschool daycare. My mom offered to watch my son instead of him going to a daycare, and that comforted me to no end.

After some strategic financial planning, I managed to remain in Texas until my son finished out the school year. We headed out on our road trip to Kentucky the day after his Kindergarten graduation ceremony in May of 2024.

I’ve written about this move in a few blogs this year. I’ve written about how this move has pretty much eliminated my feelings of depression. I won’t go into too much more detail about this.

My intention with this blog is to speak on resolutions. I made some New Year resolutions when I posted my “It’s 2024!” blog. Let’s review:

1. Fill in journals with my thoughts.
2. Continue writing my novel.
3. Go to the gym at least once a week.
4. Eat more vegetables.
5. Support my son’s needs at school.
6. Try to start up my book club again.
7. Try to convince my mom to move to Texas.
8. Drink the daily recommended amount of water.

It seems like a hefty list because often people try to focus on one resolution each year.

None of them were crazy monumental. I mentioned the change my year took in February because it impacted my resolutions.

Let’s review this as well:

1. I wrote in my January and February designated journals quite a bit. However, after February, I didn’t pick up a journal again until August. The life change really took some air out of me. Thankfully, I started to feel less depressed after being around my mom, and I started writing again. I filled an entire journal in five months which was only my second ever completed journal. So, while this resolution was stalled for a bit, I did manage to accomplish this resolution eventually!
2. I truly wish I could say that I made significant progress towards my novel. I have edited previous chapters and improved the quality, but I slacked on new content this year. I’m still working on finding my energy for writing after it being stunted for so long due to my decade long struggle with, basically, not wanting to be alive.
3. I actually started going to the gym again during January and February. I cannot tell you how many times it happened, but it definitely wasn’t very many, unfortunately. I became a ghost of a person from March until May and rarely left my home. I hated having to go in person to cancel the gym membership. That really needs to stop being a rule.
4. Habits formed when you are depressed really have a way of lingering. I really have so much more desire to improve my health, but im stuck in unhealthy habits. I have eaten more vegetables than in previous years but not nearly enough as what I intended when I wrote this resolution.
5. I knocked this one out of the park! Despite struggling with my mental health, I knew I couldn’t let my son down. He received an ADHD diagnosis and qualified for special education support in school. He continued to struggle in Kindergarten. When he began 1st grade at his new school in Kentucky, the problems were noticeably less present! He still struggles with impulse control, but he is not having as many incidents as he did previously! It’s been a relief to see him doing so much better.
6. Again, I barely existed during the beginning of the year. Thankfully, I managed to start posting in my book club Facebook group again in August. I chose five random books since, and it’s been nice to read more. While the group doesn’t meet on video or in person at the moment, we still interact some through Facebook comments. That’s a positive step I’m grateful for!
7. Well, I’m pretty sure y’all can guess what happened with this resolution. Haha! I did try to convince her in January and February. Thankfully, she didn’t agree! I’m going to give God the credit on this one. He knew I needed to move back home much more than I needed my mom to move to Texas.
8. I’d say I accomplished this about half of the year. Not consistently but enough to feel semi accomplished! I definitely wasn’t hydrated between March and May. Since coming home, my hydration has improved significantly!

I’m quite proud of what I accomplished this year despite what I thought would be a setback in my life.

It’s so easy to focus on resolutions and whether or not you accomplished them. Goals are important but so is living in the moment and enjoying the random everyday things that life brings!

Here is a list of some of my favorite memories from this year:

1. Spending time with three of my siblings and mom in January despite it being because our grandfather passed.
2. Celebrating my son’s sixth birthday with friends.
3. Being able to take a kiddo that I spent six years getting to watch grow up out for lunch in honor of their 21st birthday.
4. Being able to continue being a support for one of my kiddos currently experiencing the foster care system in Texas.
5. A goodbye gathering with friends at my old apartment’s pool.
6. The road trip with one of my best friends from Texas to Kentucky.
7. Spending time with my mom and son before I found a new job.
8. Starting a new job with a community mental health clinic.
9. Spending time with my best friends from high school and our babies.
10. Meeting so many awesome coworkers at my new job.
11. Being introduced to my partner by one of my awesome coworkers/now friend.
12. Being invited to a wonderful church that my son and I now attend regularly.
13. Writing/publishing blogs, reading, journaling, being more active on my author instagram page, and editing my novel.
14. Being able to embrace the “adventure awaits” spirit with my partner.
15. Meeting and spending time with my partner’s amazing family.
16. Watching my son start to play basketball with a team.
17. Spending time with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece before they moved.
18. Celebrating the holidays with my family, partner’s family, and church family.
19. Getting to see my son interact with his siblings and experience one positive coparenting moment this year.
20. Eating lots of delicious food.

I never thought my life would look like it does when the year began. I was excited to be back around my family, but I was scared things would still feel bad. My mental health is in the best state it has been since I was 18. I get to spend time with my mom and son every day, and it’s such a privilege. I have a partner that, while it’s still a newer relationship, has shown me love that I have not experienced before.

I no longer rely on an hour with my therapist each week to get me through life, and I feel actual joy in living!

So, while 2024, brought me some pain and changes, it most importantly brought me to feel joy and love regularly!

This blog holds lots of reflection on this past year. I want to take time to dream about the future. I want to create some resolutions!

1. Write more new content for my novel.
2. Make healthier food choices regularly.
3. Get outside more.
4. Keep working towards my bullet journal goals.
5. Personal resolution I won’t detail.

Like I’ve said in my past blog posts related to New Year resolutions, you’re no less worthy of a person regardless of what you accomplish! I see posts often in December stating something along the lines of, “People will be sharing a lot about what they accomplished during the year. It’s okay if all you did this year was survive.”

Seriously, being a human is so hard. Be proud if all you do is survive. Hopefully one day you’ll be able to build more positive coping skills and build a positive support system to help you get through this life with a little joy!

I’ve been sharing my experience with bullet journaling and how I’m tracking some goals. Follow me on my author Instagram page for this content and more! Search “authorarielpierce” or go to my “Get in Touch” page on my website for the link!

I hope to continue publishing blogs throughout 2025. Follow along on my instagram as well to see when new blogs are posted! I can’t predict what life may throw at me in the coming year, but I’m hopeful for some exciting adventures to share with y’all through my social media and website!

I love all you beautiful humans! Happy 2025 to you all!