2024 recap: celebrating growth.

hi friends, welcome back to the blog for the last post of the year!! i've been thinking about this one for weeks now & i'm super excited to write it. after recapping things i learned & what i've been grateful for this year, this post is all about growth. accomplishment externally, yes, but also personal growth! this is not about bragging, but about inspiring you to shoot for the stars! write down how you've grown this year, and know all i talk about is in the books for you, too! let's grow together :D

first, a moment to celebrate this year of the blog! i published twenty-seven posts this year :) that comes down to every other week, on average (not too bad:). i've started to find my niche & make time to write posts i'm super passionate about, which is so awesome!! honestly what gets me the most excited is seeing your comments on the posts, and all the texts i've gotten telling me how you all loved certain posts & how they helped you. i have a whole note on my phone full of all the comments you've left or sent me. i'm definitely a words of affirmation girlie, so hearing your appreciation means the world. i can't wait to continue to see the blog flourish & for all the right people to find it. keep reading, commenting and sharing it with friends & family! my hope is that it's a place of validation, encouragement, and inspiration, giving permission to feel deep, think outside of the box, and live at a higher standard. <3

as i've been thinking about it, i've realized that the area i've grown the most in is definitely spiritually. my faith, habits, and mindset have elevated soooo much this year. i feel like my spirit has been revived & spending time in the Word & in prayer has given me an insane amount of peace, comfort, and excitement. this year faith has shifted from being a part in my life to being a passion: something i love, something i teach, something that both anchors me & makes me so excited about life!! i'm grateful for friends who have inspired me, as well as emy & maya who have given me so much hype! the addition of these voices to church & God's kindness have made a beautiful impact on this year.

one of my big goals this year was to be more friendly, especially with strangers. friendship is a whole topic i'm going to cover on the blog very soon (watch for it in january), as it's something i've learned a lot about this year. waving and smiling at strangers are habits i've worked to build this year. i want to live in that kind of world, y'all. i'm still making progress at making friends everywhere and talking to strangers off the bat, but those are things i aspire to keep working on. being brave & outgoing is hard!! even for someone like me! but like anything, it can be acquired through effort. we got this, friends :)

my physical goal was to go on a walk every single day this year. did i accomplish that? definitely not. over the summer i totally fell out of the habit. however, i've gotten back into it in november & december and i'm annoyed i ever stopped. it's the best thing for my mental, emotional, and physical health. i love being outside for so many reasons, but mostly because of the peace that is in nature!! the earth is healing <3 i've grown this year in my appreciation for the beauty of nature, even when it's winter :)

besides walking and yoga, which i love, it's honestly been a rough year physically. i've felt weaker and more tired, struggled with bed time & eating healthy, and have not had the energy or motivation to workout. it's been a challenge. i say this to hopefully give you the full picture: while 2024 has been a year of growth, it's been messy. growth is not perfect, linear, or comfortable. i wish i could have grown stronger, but that's not God's will for this year, and i'm trying to trust that. sometimes the lack of growth or accomplishment is not your fault, it's just not the right time or season, & that's perfectly okay <3

mentally, this year was full of projects. i put a lot of time into my podcast, which has grown from a baby to a little toddler pod :) like the blog, i'm so grateful for my listeners & all the sweet comments they send me. it means the world & make all the hours worth it! <3 i just published a new episode with my friends pearl & mayim so make sure you don't miss that one :)

i also grown academically more this year than any previous year! i've had harder classes & good teachers at school, which i love! i've learned a lot of math in trig & calc, history in apush, chem, anatomy, spanish, and passed ap tests. in art, i've grown a ton as i've experimented with different materials, mediums, and colors! if you want to see some of my art, check out my instagram:) i've also been excited about how i've grown vocally through hard solos & my amazing voice teacher <3 and of course, i've grown in my essay writing skills because of all the application and scholarship essays i've had to write!

emotional growth has been a gem. you can read some of my thoughts about that here.

all this to say that there is growth everywhere. <3

( and in places you don't realize now! )

so before you get super ambitious & strict about your 2025 goals, take a moment to really ponder your growth in 2024. i think we don't do enough celebrating of all the effort & growth we already have seen & that's so sad!! give yourself space to be content with where you are! i'm all for goals & hard work, but i'm trying to be more gentle & realistic. we have time to grow. we don't need to rush it. we don't have to accomplish all of our dreams is one year.

trust the timing. surrender to the beauty of life & the goodness of the plan God has for you!! He has SUCH GOOD THINGS COMING :D

if this is really hard, i would recommend this two minute affirmation meditation!! it’s my favorite!! amy talks about letting go of control, trusting the time of life, and being grateful for where you're at. and that's the mindset i'm working on bringing into the new year <3

love you all so very much! thanks for growing with me this year, & i can't wait for a whole year of amazing growth ahead :) next week i'm gonna talk about some goals for the new year, surprise surprise :)

xoxo, kate

ps i love love love comments!! they make me so happy! leave your name please so i know who you are :) thanks all <33