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My year in review: 2024
A freelancer’s reflections
Kara Detwiller
December 12, 2024
Today’s edition of Wishful Working is a 4 minute read.
It’s cold in Saskatchewan today. As I write this, the temperature is -4F (-20C), and I am bundled in a robe that makes me look like the Michelin man.
Also, it’s Wishful Working’s 1st birthday! 🥳
One year ago, I sent the first edition of Wishful Working, and I have sent one almost every week since. I am so grateful to have readers and friends who enjoy these newsletters and send me kind notes. THANK YOU!
To tie a bow on this year, I would like to share some highlights and challenges of 2024. (If you’re curious, you can also read last year’s reflections.)
2024 by the Numbers
Wishful Working
💻 Total hours spent on Wishful Working: 147
📰 Newsletters sent: 45
💸 Revenue earned: $4 (From one ad placement, lol)
🧑💻 Guest writers: 1 (Thanks again, Alexa!)
Freelance Work
⏰ Avg. hours worked per week: 15
😵 Most hours worked in a week: 27
📄 Projects completed for clients: 43
⌨️ Total non-billable hours (admin work and personal projects): 485
💰 Total billable hours: 197
Money
📈 Highest income month: $6,865 (March)
📉 Lowest income month: $0 (August)
💰 Total gross revenue: $30,000
💸 Avg. monthly business expenses: $287/month
Life
📚 Books read: 77
🍿 Movies watched: 142
😴 Hours slept on our flight to Dublin in Feb: 0
🍦 Murphy’s ice cream cones eaten in Ireland: 2
🔥 Games of Tinderblox played in English pubs: 9
🛶 Kayak excursions: 2
🐱 Pictures of my cat in my camera roll: 305
🎃 Pumpkins harvested from the garden:
🥊 New tattoos: 1
🦃 Thanksgivings: 2 (🇨🇦 + 🇺🇸)
Highs & Lows
Numbers can’t tell the full story, so here are some highs and lows from the year:
This wasn’t a great year for me, financially. I had a lot of downtime between client projects, and I only made about 60% of my 2023 revenue.
I made the intentional choice to use extra downtime to work on my business. I kept up with Wishful Working, migrated my personal website to Framer, and launched a new offer: Naming.
I also started doing some fiction writing, and I resurrected a memoir project I started in 2019.
Although I’m happy with how I spent my time this year, I do feel I should have done a bit more to keep my pipeline full and earn more revenue. #regrets
I hit some expensive tax-related snags due to my status as an American citizen and Canadian resident, and I’m still sorting through them. Being a self-employed expat is not for the faint of heart!
I had a dream vacation to Ireland and England in February.
I was able to celebrate both Canada Day (in Canada) and Independence Day (in Iowa), as well as both Canadian and American Thanksgiving.
I’m bummed about the demise of Twitter/X. The freelance community I found there in 2022 was so great, but most of my friends have left and the platform is kind of a dumpster fire now. I recently joined Bluesky, but I’m having some social media fatigue/burnout.
I have met so many awesome fellow freelancers and consultants, and I’ve built some real friendships that I enjoy so much.
I’ve had a lot of existential dread this year. I’m just really wrestling with my purpose and trying to figure out what I really want out of work and life.
Despite the existential dread, I feel hopeful, like I’m on the verge of a breakthrough. I’m optimistic about 2025 being a great year for me personally and professionally.
Phew! 😮💨
I’m taking a holiday break from Wishful Working for the next few weeks, so I can focus on 2025 planning, creative projects, and family time. Again, I appreciate each of you so much, and I can’t wait to see what the new year brings! I’m always more than happy to chat, so feel free to reply or add me on LinkedIn.
See you next year! 😉
Kara
Wishful Working is inspired by my desire to see more people enjoy a life not centered around work. For some, the path to freedom and flexibility is through self-employment, but we also need to challenge cultural norms and champion healthier working conditions and work/life balance for all types of workers.