Every year we try to balance our content to bring you new stories and the features you enjoy.

I have a list of story ideas dating back to 2017 when we started This Awful Awesome Life, and I keep adding to it. This year I’m including holidays and heritage months we’ve missed, also authors and specific genres I haven’t reviewed.

It’s impossible to include every topic or event, and that’s our unfinished business. I’m going to make covering these topics a priority in 2024.

One a personal note, unfinished business can be the phone calls we haven’t returned, the cards and letters we didn’t write, or the apologies we still owe. What about those promises we made to visit loved ones, but never seem to find time for?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to head into 2024 with no unfinished business or at least a plan to tackle our baggage?

The hardest part will be letting go of things that don’t matter. Have you been holding a grudge about something minor? Sometimes the people in our lives will never apologize, and we have to decide if we need to let go of the anger or the person. Sometimes we need to do both.

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” Oscar Wilde

Is learning a new language in two weeks realistic? Are you planning on turning your unfinished business into New Year’s resolutions? If so, set more realistic timelines for the tasks you want to complete, or your 2024 resolutions will become your unfinished business.

The best way to start is to identify our unfinished business. Make a mental or physical list of the things you haven’t done, but need to complete. Prioritize your list. Separate the unfinished chores and get them out of the way, but put human interactions first. Don’t leave things unsaid with the people you love. Your biggest regrets will always be the words you left unsaid, like “I love you,”  and “I’m sorry.” And don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.