2023 Word of the Year
I feel it’s fitting to kick off the first post of my personal blog with the topic of selecting my word of the year. I admit, I am one of those people who LOVES the anticipation that comes with the new year and setting new goals and casting a new vision. This is the type of thing I geek out over. That’s why the other day, I escaped the chaos for a bit and went to my local coffee shop and sat in silence as I reflected and planned. As I was sitting there and pondering (in the back of my head) my word of the year, the same word kept repeating in my brain and has been ever since. But, I didn’t think it was good enough or bold enough so I haven’t committed. Until today…I listened to a podcast and it hit home when she said, ‘you probably already KNOW your word of the year but think it’s not good enough.” That’s all I needed. So, without further ado, I proclaim my 2023 word of the year as: Intention.
“Living with intention means saying no to the things that aren’t important so we can say yes to what matters most.” —Crystal Paine
That’s honestly all the clarity I needed after searching the word “intention” on Pinterest and finding this quote. I’m in a season of my life where I get pulled in MANY different directions. I’m a stay at home mom, while also working 1-2 days/nights a week pursuing my love of brand building for my amazing clients, striving to be the best wife I can be to my hubby who works hard so I can stay home and not work full-time out of the house, being the present daughter, friend, niece, granddaughter I want to be, and also impacting the community by sharing my story with folks walking the same path. It’s not easy, yet, all of these things bring me JOY. When I listed out what things bring me joy here’s what I came up with off the top of my head: Jesus, being a wife, my kids, family, making memories, helping brands succeed, moving my body, connection, writing, being outside and baking. The podcast episode reminded me to also link feelings with those things that bring me joy and for me those feelings are: fulfillment, purpose, peace, and freedom.
Now, the struggle is fitting all of those things that bring me joy and these positive feelings into the day-to-day. It’s not easy— but for me, but when living with intention, it is possible. Intention to me, means carving out specific time for each passion and staying completely present during that time. When I allow distractions in, or say ‘yes’ to things that aren’t important—I immediately take away from what matters most. Easier said than done, but, so worth it.
When I looked up the word “Intention” its definition says “An aim or a plan.” That worried me because I thought—that’s not a word with action attached to it. Yet, here I am able to attach all these actions that mean the most to me, to this simple word that triggers my brain to remember what’s really important. I want to be intentional in an effort to release past hurt and grow. Which led me to the next realization…there is a medicinal definition tied to this word and it says “the healing process of a wound.” Wow, I was left awestruck when I saw that. I am in a season of growth and healing right now and healing my wounds in many different areas of my life requires intention.
So, what does all this mean in terms of goals and vision? For me, I was able to take this word and these thoughts and transform them into a few actionable goals for this new year. I’m sharing them with you to hold me accountable. I want to be reminded by my inner circle of this commitment I am making to intention and the ultimate choice I am making to say yes to what matters most.
Goals for 2023:
Devotional time, prayer time and journaling every day.
Move my body every day for 30 mins (walking, box, running, anything that helps me feel alive and gets my heart pumping).
Therapy 2x/month in the form of personal and marriage counseling.
Reduce screen time. No phone when spending focused, quality time with my kids and/or family.
Give myself creative space. Continuing to pursue my passion of helping others through my work.
80% mom, 20% biz owner. This is something I determined a few years ago with my business coach. I want to prioritize being with my littles during this season that truly won’t last. I want to be present and not miss out on some of the craziest yet best years of my life.
Well, the babies slept in and allowed me this time and space to get this journal entry done and for that I say Praise the Lord! Now, they’re awake and it’s time for me to spend some intentional time with them :)