2024 Life-Changers
The 22 big, small and bougie things that made my year
Welcome to my annual goal series! I’m releasing a new goals-related blog post each day. Here’s what’s included!
2024 Answered Prayers (12/27)
2024 Goals Recap (12/28)
2024 Life-Changers (12/30)
20+ Books I Read in 2024 (12/31)
2025 Word of the Year (1/1)
2025 Goals (1/2)
40 Books to Read in 2025 (1/3)
What’s Next? (1/6)
If you desire more focus and consistency and less distractions and distance from the Lord, now is the perfect time to grab our yearly prayer journal for 2025. Grab one here. And don’t miss my Instagram live on how to use our prayer journals and overcome common obstacles Monday at 7 pm here.
In the last few years, I’ve started sharing the things that changed my life that year. Some are super deep and serious and others small but impacted me in some way that I specifically can pinpoint.
Here’s this year’s list of life-changers in no particular order, except number 1!!
1. Prayer
This year, specifically, the prayer focus map. In the Answered Prayers post, I shared my 10 big prayers for the year and how God had worked insanely in the entire list. What I forgot was that I did a Prayer Focus Map for each one and taped them in my closet where I would do my redlight. I eventually had to take it town when we had to do some bathroom repairs but I found them this week while packing and wanted to cry seeing it! I forgot I had gone way beyond just writing them down and praying for each of them. I really took a 360 look and surrendered it to the Lord.
2. Acupressure mat *
These have been everywhere, but my less bougie confession is that I have a $29 one from Amazon, which works amazing. (Just checked. It’s $25 right now!) I lay on it for 10 minutes before bed (sometimes longer), and it’s so relaxing that I often fall into that by-the-pool sleep where you doze but are still kinda awake. I crawl into bed and fall asleep so fast after.
3. Movement
After reading two books this year (more on one of them further down this list), I realized I need to move my body more. And that might be obvious, but I’m not just talking about getting a walk-in every day but not sitting down for more than 4-6 hours a day. That sounds insane, right? But I gave it a try and I feel so much better on the days I’m moving more throughout the day. I wrote more about it here.
4. A legit non-toxic perfume *
Y’all I have talked about Henry Rose but I can easily say this is the best perfume ever, and it has changed my Sundays. I typically only put on perfume when I would get dressed up (AKA mostly just church) and would get headaches every Sunday. I probably knew I should have quick, but I love the smell of a good perfume and wasn’t crunchy enough to switch to straight essential oils. This stuff is fantastic. I even got the girls a small one, too, and I love knowing they aren’t spraying themselves with stuff that’s not great. My favorites are Torn and Char. Vana has Char, and Vivi has Dark is Night.
5. Asking Questions
It feels funny to lump this in right after a beauty product, but I have been blown away by how much our weekly questions have changed me. Obviously, I write hoping to impact your prayer lives, but when it’s your job, you forget you’re the beneficiary, just like everyone who reads it. It’s challenged me to pray about so much more than the requests in my prayer journal and created a weekly habit of going to God, which is increasing that muscle to keep going to God for other things.
6. Anti-inflammatory salad
Part of mold toxity is higher inflammation so I have been looking for ways to decrease it. I feel a noticeable difference when this is a part of my week. I make a big batch and divide it into individual portions and that way even in a crazy week, I can pop this out the fridge add some toppings and eat foods that are helping. I’ll eat honestly any time of day, breakfast, lunch, a snack. Now I do add feta so I’m sure that dulls the anti-inflammatory properties a little but it’s better than fast food or not eating at all!