Friends, it’s that time again. The time to reflect on the previous year & dream up goals for the next. It is indeed one of my favorite times – I’m naturally a goal setter, a dreamer. I love regularly checking back & tracking my progress as I move forward.
And I firmly believe this mixed with a little magic, grace & luck has led us to where we are now.
One simple way I channel my dreams & visions for the new year is by picking one word. This word acts as my anchor throughout the months, consistently calling me to be intentional in my actions, choices, words & habits.
In 2013, I chose Joy. In 2014, I lived out Quality. In 2015, my one word was Pursuit. In 2016, the word Provision rang true in my life. In 2017, Peace was my anthem.
2017 was undoubtedly a hard year for so many of us. I was so thankful for the word Peace & just how transformative it was in my every day life. As I write this, tears well up just thinking of how much I grew & learned from this year.
I learned to quiet myself & listen a little more (though I have so much more work to do in this area). I softened my temper & resisted the need to argue back. I fully healed from a difficult business relationship & retreated when I felt myself growing weary.
I have so much work to do still, but I am thankful for what 2017 taught me.
And as I cast a line out into the great waters of what 2018 might be, I am drawn to the word Better.
I have established many healthy habits & tools in my life – what might it look like if I dedicated an entire year to better utilizing those tools & better establishing those habits? I’m not looking to add more to my life, I’m simply working toward bettering those systems already in place.
Below are some areas of my life in need of fine tuning:
1. My health journey – As I draw closer & closer to earning Lifetime as a Weight Watcher (which simply means achieving a livable & obtainable weight goal set by me & my doctor), I want to challenge myself to better my eating habits & pay attention to what my body needs. I hope to keep accountable by sharing my journey more openly online. Stay tuned for more on this as the year unfolds…
2. Movement – I have joined a new gym & really look forward to getting back into a sustainable fitness schedule. I plan to try out a handful of classes & look forward to finding something I actually enjoy rather than dreading those 30 minutes dedicated to activity. This area will be the hardest for me as I often tell myself I don’t have enough time or it’s not important. I’d love to read your strategy on how you make activity a daily part of your life.
3. Work – I learned SO MUCH in 2017 at Freckled Hen Farmhouse. I look forward to putting into place what I learned & making our little shop a richer, better experience for our patrons in 2018. I am excited to lead as a more confident boss & better our systems to make Freckled Hen a more sustainable business. I plan to take a business retreat with Luke to really write out & think up how we might put this all into action. Just the thought makes me giddy!
Friends, what’s your word for 2018? How has choosing one word each year impacted your life? Please do share all of your thoughts in the comments.
love,
natalie