After the yearly theme of 2022 spilled over into 2023, it’s time for a new theme for 2024: “The Year of Focus on Focus”.

(See the previous post for some context on yearly themes.)

The Year of Intent in 2022 worked out very well. I felt better and more intentional. Unfortunately, it lost all its power over 2023. Extending the theme this way was unintentional, which basically set the whole year up for failure from a yearly theme/north star perspective. I never really caught up with anything over 2023 and always felt behind.

The Year of Focus on Focus continues a little from what I have subconsciously done in 2023: I drastically reduced my commitments and took breaks instead. Saying “no” to some things gave me space for saying “yes” to other things. And I want to continue that.

But Focus on Focus is also a promise to make changes that benefit being focused. I felt spread thin, stressed, and tired at the end of 2023, and the break hasn’t really helped, unfortunately. Focusing on the focus is the attempt to get the rhythm back, to create the space to be sustainably productive. I hope that that works out.