Up First briefing: Life Kit has 50 ways to change your life in 2024

Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.

Your New Year's resolution planner

Are you a New Year's resolution person? I didn't used to be. My philosophy has always been, "Why wait for a new year if you could change your life at any time?" Over the years, I've grown fonder of the clean slate feeling that Jan. 1 gives you. And this year, Life Kit's New Year's Resolution planner has everything I need to set some big goals.

The illustrated grid features 50 episodes that will help you reach your 2024 ambitions. You can filter them by theme and work on your mental health, career, relationships and more. Looking for more general advice? Check out a behavior scientist's tips for changing your life. Whatever resolution you choose, don't forget to use these tips to keep yourself accountable throughout the year.

Life Kit editor Malaka Gharib says this year she hopes readers can find an episode that will help them "improve their life in a big way in 2024." She had a baby in February and wants to practice saying "no" more. She'll be using advice from the "How to Say No" episode and pausing before answering a request.

As for me? I'm getting married this month. As I start a new phase of my life with my husband, I'll be looking to this episode for advice on starting new family traditions — and letting go of old ones.

Looking ahead to 2024

For those who are extremely online, 2023 was the year of ChatGPT, Barbenheimer and girl dinners. What will the internet bring us this year? Casey Newton, editor for the tech newsletter Platformer, tells Morning Edition what his predictions are.

Many think it's bad luck to take your Christmas tree down before the 12th day of Christmas on Jan. 6. If your tree is still up, here's how you can properly dispose of it or give it a new life.

A go-to asthma medication is leaving shelves this month. Drugmaker GSK says it's discontinuing its drug Flovent because it's making a generic version instead. Here's what patients who rely on the medication need to know.

The Emmy Awards are finally here. Originally scheduled for September 2023, it was canceled due to the writers' and actors' strikes. Mark your calendars for Jan. 15 to see whether your favorite shows will take home a prize.

This newsletter was edited by Treye Green.