Welcome to 2024! I have been giggling at the memes alerting God that we’d like the “blessed and highly favored 2024 package” and not the “trials and tribulations package” so many people experienced in 2023. I am always excited about a new year and all of the possibilities it brings. Each year I try to set an intention for the year, whether it’s a goal, a color, a project, or just a mindset. Last year’s theme was “sunshine and empanadas” and the color for the year was blue. I wanted sunshine, good food, vacations, and a sense of calm. I think I mostly achieved that, but I know I can do more.
My theme for this year is “sunshine and connections” and my color is green. I am calling in more travel, good health, wealth, and ample time in nature to go birding. I also want to work on building and nurturing more long-term relationships with new and old friends in my orbit. I want to be more intentional about spending time with family and friends and I want to allow those who aren’t for me to quietly exit stage left.
As I get older, I am more cognizant of the blessing that is good health. Each year I pledge to do more to get and stay healthy and this year is no different. I am hopeful that I will prioritize my physical and mental health during what will be a busy and possibly tumultuous election year. I am reminded of what my grandmother would say about the importance of stretching and exercise, “If you don’t move it and use it, then you’ll lose it!”
Hopefully we will all spend a bit more time in nature walking around and enjoying the beauty and abundance around us while also getting in some steps.
I am sure many of us are setting various professional goals, whether it is being more productive on a particular project or actually working less. Whatever the priority may be, January is a great time to set and reset our intentions for the months ahead. And if we fall short in January, we can always reset at the beginning of each new month, new week, or new day.
What are your intentions for 2024? Do you have a particular place you’d like to travel, near or far? Is there a book you want to read? Is there a friend with whom you want to reconnect? Is there a new business plan or project you’d like to begin? Whatever it may be, this is the time to take a deep breath and “jump into the lagoon” as I call it.
So, welcome to 2024. Let’s be our best selves and enjoy the wonders around us.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio. She is a 2023-24 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CCNY.