Our Rural Roots

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, Contributor

In fitting right in with my Type-A, Enneagram-3 personality:

I love a list of goals for the New Year. Not really resolutions, per se, but goals that I want to accomplish. For many years, these goals have included things like running another half marathon, reading 20 books, reading the entire Bible in a year and so on.

As we flip the calendar to 2024, my perspective has shifted a little. It may be because I am getting older, and time seems to be moving faster. It may be the fact that the world just feels overwhelming with news of wars and pain and heartache on a daily basis. It may be because my children are getting more involved in activities, and trying to balance football practice and spelling words and showing livestock all over the United States about did me in this fall.

Whatever the reason, I am approaching my 2024 goals differently. Rather than my usual list, my goal for 2024 is one simple word: less.

I want less stress and less on my calendar and less procrastination. I want to spend less money and eat out less and worry less. I'd desperately like less clutter in my house and less mental load in my brain. I'd love a year of less guilt and fewer "shoulds." I'd like to consume less sugar and have less screen time and spend less time thinking about things that do not matter.

My hope is that all this less will actually result in more. More connection with the people I love. More space to dream and reflect and rest. More healthy eating and care for our mental and physical selves. More memories to make and movie nights to experience and stories to read. Above all, more laughing and cherishing each moment.

Whatever your goals for 2024, I wish you joy in the pursuit.

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-- Tiffany Dowell Lashmet juggles family, farming, fairs, writing and a career in ag law from the Texas Panhandle. Follow her blog at https://alwaysafarmkid.com/…, on Instagram alwaysafarmkid and on X @TiffDowell

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