Best of 2024
2024 was a rough year. A very close and important family member died, and I’ve had a lot of grieving and reflecting to do. That’s given me the opportunity to do some wintering and prioritize self-care in new ways. I’ve read a lot of great books, done a lot of cleaning and organizing (Swedish death cleaning, perhaps?), and taken two drawing marathons at the New York Studio School– something that’s been on my bucket list for decades.
I’ve also been exploring tools that make life a little smoother, smarter, and more intentional. Here are three apps I’ve found really helpful in 2024 I would recommend.
Ladder, Perplexity, & Notebook LM
I’ve always found that staying active is about consistency, but let’s be honest—it’s hard to figure out what to do, how often, and with what structure. Personally, I do better in classes, but getting there can be tricky. Ladder is a fitness app that pairs you with personalized strength training plans and clear guidance from expert coaches. My husband’s used it for years, and this year I finally tried it out. I’m now regularly doing strength and pilates-based workouts on my own schedule, and enjoying the app’s great design. I recommend it if you are looking for a way to balance flexibility and consistency in your workouts.
Perplexity is a game-changer. It’s an AI-powered search tool that serves up clear, reliable answers fast—without the clutter. It’s like having an assistant who gets straight to the point every time.
Notebook LM, also powered by AI, has been a lifesaver for making sense of complex or overwhelming content. Notebook LM is like having a conversation with your materials (articles, documents, etc), where the app helps you pull out what’s most important. It doesn’t train the AI on your content and you can even make podcasts that make the complex easy to digest.
2024 was also one of the best reading years I’ve had in awhile… it felt like every book I picked up was terrific. A few of my favorites, in no particular order, were…
What were your faves in 2024?
