2024 In Review
- McCayla Groski
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
Goals I Set:
Workout 3 times per week, every week of 2024!
Read 20 books
Save up a 10% home down payment
Pay off credit card debt
Buy and move in to a home
Paint 80 canvases
Create a daily writing habit
Seek and seize opportunities to sing more
Apply to 10 art galleries or art shows
Surf in Nicaragua (again)!
I suppose you could look at it this way: I only achieved 3 of the goals I set out to achieve.
Or, you could choose to look at it as I made progress in 8 of the 10 goals I set!
Or, you could choose to look at it this way: I achieved 47.3% of my goals I set!
Or, that I found ways to progress in my physical health, intellect, financial well-being, art, and singing!
We get to define our own success. For me, I look at it this way. Hey, I set some lofty goals last year. So, I didn't achieve them all, I still achieved half and that is pretty darn good! I'm better this year than I was last year! I'm progressing in the ways that matter most to me! AND, I'm not defining myself ONLY by the goals I set at the beginning of the year.
Below are some additional context clues as to why I didn't achieve 100% of each of my 2024 goals.
Unexpected Accomplishments:
Promoted to Manager, a first! And this unexpected accomplishment has come a great deal of educational and growth opportunities and has been an extremely humbling experience.
I was selected to be a vendor at PRIDE festival and was emboldened to "level up" my set up, my style/flare, and my overall presentation.
I was hired to work at the Ren Fest and had so much fun dressing up for the occasion and meeting new friends!
An extremely busy summer full of face-painting gigs.
Some of our favorite memories:
Friendsgiving at Minnichs
Kev & Joe got married
Surfing in Nicaragua
Face painting gigs in Duluth (multiple)
Christmas memories such as gifting dragons, baking, and listening to "Still Dre" a thousand times while my nephew played it on the piano
Playing dress up with my nieces
Art in the Park in Lanesboro - where my sister and nephews helped
Nights spent staring up at the Northern Lights
A painting class on the farm with my pal Christine with #TheGraterGoodMN
Days spent boating or paddle boarding on a lake with friends or family
Finding my style a bit more as an artist
Watching violent lightening shows from the garage on a lawn chair
Browsing for houses with my hubby, daydreaming of our future we can't wait to become our present
The weekend spent at Wisconsin Dells with my in-laws
Final memories with my grandpa spent reminiscing, talking about football, and singing for him.
And, as I think about 2025, I'm struggling to identify my goals. I'm curious about how I can actually achieve my fitness goals, I'm trying hard to keep the faith that we will find the right house for us, I'm trying to hack my painting routine to get back in the groove, I have some friends who live far away that I'd like to prioritize visiting, I'd like to become someone who wakes up at 5 AM and works out before work, I'd like to live an overall healthier lifestyle which feels like a contradiction to my financial goals.... I'm curious if it is worth setting a goal of painting 80 canvasses a year, when face painting seems to be my primary "thing" that people like, should I cave and set goals around that? or find ways to let my heart truly sing with the canvas, and be disappointed once again at the end of the year when I inevitably do not meet that goal yet again. Part of me knows that I should be setting SMARTER goals, but part of me loves setting lofty goals that feel a bit out of reach!
So, what goals to set when I want to be a singer, artist, fit and athletic, and financially stable? How about this:
Spend 3 hours outside each week
Exercise 2 - 3 times per week
Buy or build a home
Paint 15 canvasses that make MY heart sing
Have 4 alcohol free days per week
Paint for 2 hours per week
Plan to spend time with each of my close friends in-person this year
Delete and do not re-install TikTok
Wake up at 6 AM 2 days per week
Write for 10 minutes per week
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