It’s the most wonderful time of the my year! 2024 was one for the books…and though some days it feels like it, the year isn’t over yet. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons so I’m determined to end it on a high note.
This is the fourth installment in the “What’s Saving My Life” series and perhaps the most literal. (Here are the first, second, and third posts). As always, I love learning what our readers are into, so please share what’s saving YOUR life with me at hello@indymaven.com.
With that, here are final 10 things of the year that are saving my life right now.
1. “The Plan”
One of my resolutions for 2025 should probably be to talk less about The Lazy Genius. However, the year’s not over yet, and she is the inspiration behind this series, so I’d be remiss now to say how much reading her new book, “The Plan” changed my life this year. Because in a world where men write 93% of all time management books, it’s about damn time the women of the world (who consume 70% of those books) have an alternative. Also, if you’re wondering what I said to her when I met her at the Indiana Conference for Women, the answer is very little. I panicked, got a photo, and left. Sadly, our friendship shall remain only in my head.
2. NOT Hosting Thanksgiving
After losing my mother-in-law in February, taking care of my dad while he lived with us for three months (in our ground floor MASTER BEDROOM) recovering from an ankle replacement, and a heated election year, my husband and I decided not to host our family for Thanksgiving this year, and it feels glorious. I love my family but I’m also looking forward to some time off from hosting the holiday.
3. HerMD
When I went into HerMD in Carmel with some general health concerns this summer (your typical peri-menopause adjacent fun), I knew they’d stick with me until we found answers. A few months later, I’m thrilled to say that working with their team, I feel better than I have in years! I cannot recommend or thank them enough.
4. Chargers Everywhere
I upgraded to an iPhone 16 only to find that, of course, none of my chargers worked with it. After weeks of moving one charger room to room, from work to home, I finally bought a two-pack to have one wherever I went. And to make life even easier, I got them in purple instead of white—no more mix-ups!
5. My First Mamogram
This one could have actually saved my life. In addition to getting my hormones adjusted, I also had my first mammogram ever in October! I had it done at New Moon Center for Women’s Health, the practice through which I delivered both of my babies. It was a great experience and I was fortunate to have a clean scan.
6. Strength Training
I know. This is almost as obnoxious as saying “protein,” but strength training truly has been a wonderful addition to my life. Twice a week, I work with Rachel Lacy at Maven Space, and I’m also doing a 6-week Peleton strength training workshop. Both are focused on strength and mobility, which are so important as we age.
7. Fairlife Core Power Elite Protein Shake
Because protein is the new…everything. Rachel turned me on to Fairlife protein shakes and I was delighted when I discovered the Elite strawberry flavored version. It has 42 grams of protein and tastes like a strawberry Yahoo which I have a weird soft spot for.
8. Kelly Nolan’s Holiday Guide
I mentioned my digital calendar and Kelly Nolan in my first post, but her holiday guide (officially titled “The Working Professional’s Guide to Making Your Fall & Winter Holidays Less Frantic and More Enjoyable”) is worth a mention. Because of using it last year, I blocked off time for this holiday season to help me avoid overwhelm. The result? An incredibly clear and flexible calendar during a busy season that I feel in control of, instead of it controlling me. Get yours here and listen to the podcast here.
9. Reminders App
It feels like I’ve tried all the list apps out there but in effort to simplify my digital life, I recently moved to the iPhone reminders app. Where has this been all my life?! I love being able to ask Siri to create reminders when I’m on the go—and I especially love the option to have it give me a reminder when I arrive somewhere. I pretty much have my entire life set on reminders now and it’s done wonders for my mental load.
10. Controlling What I Can Control
This is more abstract than a tool, business, or product recommendation but in the post election season, this has been my mantra. We all get to choose how and where we spend our money and our time. From the organizations we choose to support to the people we surround ourselves with, these are things we can control and I believe make the difference.
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Leslie Bailey is the co-founder and CEO of Indy Maven and Maven Space. Follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Goodreads.
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