what I'm leaving behind in 2024.

Last week, my friend Alyson reached out to me to ask if I wanted to come back on her podcast, But What If You Did?, to record a “What we’re leaving behind in 2024” episode. She said that she thought we could have a really spicy and interesting conversation about the themes that we don’t want to carry with us into the new year, since we’ve both gone through pretty dramatic evolutions in 2024.

This time, it was a full-body, unwavering, hell yes. (If you read my post from when we recorded our first episode together, I had WAY more fears around saying yes.)

We jumped on Zoom a few days later and chatted for over an hour about what we’re saying goodbye to. I hope you’ll take some time to listen to the episode here!

If podcasts aren’t your thing, don’t worry. I’m summing up our main points from the conversation below.

so, what are we leaving behind in 2024?

1. Outsourcing your power. Let’s enter into 2025 with the realization that you don't need other people to fix you or give you the answers. The answers are already within you. This year, we’re tapping into our internal wisdom instead of outsourcing our power—to a coach, a friend, a mentor, etc. Yes, it's good to have support, but if the motivation behind it is, “This person will fix me,” then we need to leave that behind. No longer are we blindly following social influence. We’re following our own inner power.

2. Hustling for the “shoulds.” We all know what it feels like to spin around on the hamster wheel and stress about all the things that you think you “should” be doing. Take that word our of your vocabulary. In 2025, you're allowed to slow down. We are nature. Trees die in the winter; bears hibernate. Be realistic about what’s sustainable for you. Let’s leave behind this feeling that we’re “behind.”

3. The fear of people’s opinions. Oh man, this is my #1 theme that I’m leaving behind. I spent so much of my life filtering my behavior and what I say for the fear of not being loved or not fitting in or making people uncomfortable. I’m leaving behind this impossible goal of trying to fit in with every group and every community. In 2025, I’m doing the things that feel good to me, saying the things that are true for me, and showing up in communities that accept me for who I am.

4. The people-pleasing narrative. We’re learning that “No” is a full sentence.

5. Chronic isolation & loneliness. We live in the most isolated world that’s ever existed—many of us work remote, many of us live alone, and there’s a general prevalence of isolation and loneliness. We need to leave behind this idea that there's no one out there for us. 2025 is the year of intentionally seeking out and finding your people. They ARE out there, but you have to put in the work to find them (or to build the community you want!). Your village doesn’t just appear. You have to put in the intentional work to find it.

6. Quick fixes. Let’s stop investing in things that someone online told you is going to “fix” you. Because the reality is that we are holistic beings and we need sustainable changes, not one quick “magical” fix. We’re trading quick fixes for investing in things/products/services that actually feel empowering and aren’t being sold on the basis of a lack mentality or scarcity mindset.

7. Go-go-go culture & constantly wanting. We, as a society, are addicted to wanting. We want more things, we want to crush more goals, we want to achieve XYZ. We have this constant feeling of go-go-go that when we actually GET what we “wanted,” we don’t slow down to enjoy it. And so we all feel strung out and unhappy. In 2025, I’m leaning into the feeling of why I want something. And then celebrating and leaning into that desired feeling when I do get it. I’m taking more time and space to feel proud and celebrate myself instead of just moving on to the next thing. This goes for small things, too. If you’re addicted to the Amazon, instant gratification, constantly ordering and buying things online culture… slow down to ask yourself why. It might be something you can leave in this year.

8. Blindly taking someone’s word. In this new year, we’re doing our own research and making our own, empowered decisions. We’re leaving behind this old pattern of going through with decisions because we feel a sense of guilt or obligation and listening to our intuition, even if it doesn’t make sense to our logical minds. We’re not just blindly listening to “authority” anymore.

9. Not having time for curiosity. When did we lose this? How often do we shut down someone else’s curiosity because we don’t know the answer or we think we don’t have time for it? Let’s learn to give space to curiosity. The power of presence is all we have.

10. The idea that safety is found in the external. We’re no longer seeking safety from work or lovers or family or money. The reality is that you’re the only person that has your back 100% of the time. The only safety that you can find is within yourself.

11. Overworking. Boundaries are good! We’re setting them and sticking to them in the new year. You can love your job and still have healthy boundaries with it. If you’re struggling with this one, ask yourself: "Am I overworking as a way of escaping real life?” If the answer is yes… explore that more.

    
    

What do YOU want to leave behind as we move into a new year? Let me know in the comments! And if you listen to our conversation on the podcast, I’d love to know what you thought!

xx

Court.