Here’s what I’m digging into this new year. What about you?
The People I Love
My raison d’etre. Plus, it worked out well as a conscious priority for me in 2023.
Reading
Still rebounding from Covid, travel was big for me last year. I am being pulled to nest now. Staying in & reading more (with my dog Ricky in my lap) sounds like heaven now.
The Crush Letter
Obvious?
Strength Training
Go get it, girl.
Goofing off
Last year was a seeeeriously hard-working year for me on the personal front. I dug out of two large homes and a relationship that was fun & loving but nonetheless a dead-end (the hardest kind to leave, really). And then there was all the excavation I did in serious therapy. Diving into a deeper understanding of how I operate with friends, family and romantic partners. Valuable, but difficult. And all so exhausting. This year I’m consolidating wins — and taking fun, games & fucking off so fucking seriously.
Your 2024 Hit Lists: What Crush Readers Are Doing & Prioritizing
Thanks to these Crush Readers for sharing theirs.
Submitted by CRUSH Reader ”Di”:
"I’ve been meaning to email you for two weeks but today’s newsletter musings on ‘keeping the door open’ provided the impetus … the main point truly resonated with me — a long-married woman on the verge of turning 60. It echoes my approach to this year (or as I affectionately refer to it ‘THE YEAR I TURN 60’). Promoted by this WSJ article, "How to Avoid Being Boring at 60" and conversations with two of my sons about being open, receptive, and vulnerable, I am approaching 2024 as the year of ‘Hell, yes!’ "
What are the top 5 things on your 2024 Hit List?
I’m putting myself out there for new experiences like I did in my 20’s. March in a Mardi Gras parade, hell, yes! (even in an absurd outfit with aerial stunts that are giving me PTSD about not making the drill team in 9th grade?) hell, yes! Scuba again (even though I haven’t been in 25 years?), yep! Twilight kayak around Miami with stranger? skydive? complete some crazy hike challenge that may leave me wandering alone in the Colorado mountains? maybe even head to Calle Ocho to practice my fledgling Spanish? YES!
Do you have any advice for other CRUSH readers to help them stick to their 2024 Hit List?
I’m loving the idea of being open and receptive to new things, people and challenges in a way that I haven’t (it’s easy to get into and stay in your comfort zone). But to me it is the best way to stave off the not necessarily inevitable closing in that can come with aging it to keep pushing the boundaries. So, that’s your long answer to last week’s question about our approach to/resolutions for 2024.
Submitted by CRUSH Reader Mieke:
What are the top 5 things on your 2024 Hit List?
1. to keep my physical performance and well-being in top form ( I compete in a sport). Especially getting older the body changes and it is key to work on balance and core.
2. the alignment of manifesting what I say I want and what is blocking that inside my thoughts. Yes, I want a great relationship, a man who “gets” me, a deep attraction, companionship and true partner till the end, but if so why is it not happening? Do I really want this and what are the fears? ALIGNMENT!
3. To be of a mindset “ what would love do?” It is a practice and awareness but worth the process.
4. Find some special way to help my son find a positive and successful path. He’s so young emotionally and man o man it’s difficult to be patient.
5. Read more! January has been devoted to vision surgeries and I am seeing clear as a bell now. Woohooo!
Submitted by CRUSH Reader Rachel:
What are the top 5 things on your 2024 Hit List?
1.Trying to be more present in my life and enjoy who I’m with and focus to be more in the moment
2. Put my phone down and avoid the constant ‘scroll’
3. Regret is more painful than failures. I want to regret and rethink less.
4. Get back to finding my joy in small things
Do you have any advice for other CRUSH readers to help them stick to their 2024 Hit List?
Write them down and re read on the first day of every month
Anything else you’d like to share?
Love your letters, XO
Submitted by CRUSH Reader Marlene:
What are the top 5 things on your 2024 Hit List?
I spent the first week of the year thinking through what I want more of in 2024. (At first I thought I would make two lists — one for the things I want more of, and one for the things I want less of — but I ended up dropping the “less of” list because I was adding “more abundance” to the more of list, so definitionally the ”less of” list fell out. (One way to cut the workload!)
For my “MORE” list for 2024 I really thought through with specificity what I want to consciously attract this year, what I want to rearrange to make room for, what I need. By putting these down I also naturally began to think through *how* I am going to get these things. I ended up with about 10 things.
It includes a lot more affection and cuddling and kissing with my husband. This is MOST DEFINITELY an influence that The Crush Letter has had on me (thanks Dish!) — how am I going to take the lead in creating more affection and touching and just loving gestures in my marriage? We’ve been together over 20 years and we are newly empty nesters, but we fell into such a “blocking and tackling” mode as a team. There’s so much love there, but I want to build the affection and flirtation back in, too.
I’ve started by making a point of touching him casually when I walk by him. Leaning down and kissing his cheek. When we’re sitting on the couch, looking for ways to tuck my feet into him, etc. What I’ve noticed already is that he loves it. I mean he really, really loves it. He’s very responsive. We had a deep conversation one night already this year, and I believe the baseline affection laid the groundwork for that.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Just - thanks Dish. I think you send out a lot of important reminders that continue to keep my important relationships front-of-mind. I see a difference.
Submitted by CRUSH Reader Kate:
What are the top 5 things on your 2024 Hit List?
I started collecting words. Originally I was collecting them on a separate page in my daily journal in order to pick a word for 2024. (That’s a thing people are doing.)
But then I kept stumbling into new words and decided I’d keep company with them all! Why not. I put them on one page in my journal in order to reference them every day. I have 14 at this point. I may winnow them down. One word you can guess and that’s “grateful.” Not sure where this is going, but it’s a nice way to wake up, lingering over my 2024 words.
If you love me as much as I love you (and I really do love you!), then please help me grow by forwarding this {love} Letter to a friend! And I'd love to have you join us on instagram.
The Crush Letter
The Crush Letter is a weekly newsletter from Dish Stanley curating articles & intelligence on everything love & connection - friendship, romance, self-love, sex. If you’d like to take a look at some of our best stories go to Read Us. Want the Dish?
