2013 Word of the Year

The theme for 2013 is about living my truth.  I chose a word that encapsulates my goals and I added a few support words for reinforcement.  13 might be lucky after all.  

12 in 12 Reverb

graffiti in Houston

At the beginning of 2012 I create a list of 12 goals I wanted to knock off before the year was over.  And then I put the list away and didn't think much about it after that.  Why is it we are so good at making resolutions but lack on follow through.

What I've discovered, however, is if even if you put your intentions out there and don't pay attention to the list, most, if not all, will manifest in full or some version of it.  Here is how I did on my list...

1| Attend brand camp with Hey, Sweet Pea
This did not happen because they did not actually host a brand camp so it wasn't even possible.  I did find other avenues and resources to start building a brand.

2| Squam in the Fall
After my first trip I wasn't sure if I would return.  This year it got scheduled, but when the time came it didn't feel right.  That is until I arrived and realized it was perfect timing.  The trip was exactly what I needed.

3| Take a homesteading class
The homesteading class is at the Ploughshare Institute near Waco and I attended the spring session.  I had a fun filled three days of wandering around a working homestead.  My favorite was the mill.  They grind their own flour, corn mill and other grains.

4| Take a trip to Lincoln for a non-agenda weekend with my sister
I actually took several trips to Lincoln this year to see my sister, and all of them were unplanned most of the time.  We worked on her salon, but we still had a lot of fun.

5| Return to yoga
This goal may stay on my list for 2013.  My point was to attend regularly.  I'm amazing at how much it clears the fuzz out of my brain and produces clarity.  This goal came and went without consistency this year, but I didn't give it up.

6| Write 5 lines of gratitude daily
As with yoga, this didn't happen on a regular basis, but it happened more so than I thought.  When I looked back through my journal and planner and added up all the gratitude lists, in addition to the gratitude party, and my gratitude notebook, I'd say I did pretty good.  I'm feeling blessed this year.  I find beauty in the really small things, because some days that is all that matters.

7| Get my garden going at the new house
It was built, it was planted, and then a hot summer hit and it flopped.  I traveled quite a bit and wasn't around to really take care of it.  If nothing else, the foundation is there.

8| Make a date with the specialist I've been putting off
This goal was really a priority.  I had been in pain for over a year and finally knew I needed to get it taken care of.  I knocked this out in the early part of the year and found it wasn't a big deal.  I could actually fix it with my diet, which was a huge blessing.  Lesson learned; do not put off your health.

9| Run the Tour de Fleurs 10K in the Fall
Road races usually try to get on the list to motivate me to keep running.  I like running.  When you are in a routine and pattern it just feels good.  There really is a runners high.  I did not run this race because it happened to fall the same weekend as Squam and I was not going to miss it.  I actually stopped running altogether this year.  For a while I felt really guilty about it.  But something about the long miles just turned me off.  I'm beginning to think that my body needed rest and healing and I'm looking forward to picking up running again in 2013.

10| Go on vacation
With all my trips I wasn't sure I was going to go on vacation this year.  You could consider Squam or Alaska a vacation, but my intention here was a vacation with cc.  She doesn't always get to pick up and leave because of our business.  Over Thanksgiving we went to Galveston and stayed in a beach house for the long weekend and enjoyed a very relaxing vacation.  

11| Work on my personal style
Always a work in progress, but I decided to stop trying so hard. I received personal styling service at Wholly Tara and I desperately wish they had a shop closer.  But, at the end of the day my favorite thing to wear will always be jeans, T-shirts, and sweaters.

12| Do one thing this year that scares me
This goal is scary.  I have to say it out loud, but it is about a process for me.  It is not about jumping out of an airplane, or any one-time event that is usually on bucket lists.  It is about shifting my thinking to believe in something better or new. I'll list two big things without going into detail.
             Attended an adoption seminar - considering adopting a child
             Working on the leg work to open an on-line paper goods shop.

WORD OF THE YEAR

My 2012 WOY is ACTION.  I chose this word because I came to the realization that I am very much a dreamer and planner, but a terrible doer.  I freeze in fear most of the time.  I don't want to fail or I don't want to disappoint anyone, or the unknowns are just to big for me.  I wanted to stop that behavior so I chose a big verb.

I have to say that I followed through fairly well.  The monthly chronicle lists, the ones you see and the ones listed in my journal, scream action.  I am slowly becoming a doer and learning how to push through the fear.  Each time a decision came to sit back or go for it action would pop into my head and I was able to move forward.  Living to the fullest is manifesting.

I have been thinking about my 2013 word for a while.  I have a few ideas and I hope to build off my action from this year.  Interesting things lurk around the corner.

Tell me about your goals?  Did you meet them or some version of them?  Any revelations?

Mid Year Review

January always brings excitement.  There is a fresh year in front of me and the slate is clean.  I am a planner, list maker, and big time dreamer so at the beginning of every year I sit and make a list of all the things I want to do in the 365 days ahead of me.  Some of my goals are lofty, others ridiculous, and several uninteresting, but I do it without fail.

This year I posted a 12 in 2012 list and chose ACTION as my word of the year.  I intentionally chose a verb because I needed a push move beyond musing.  With that said, I'm forcing myself to return to the list with 6 months of the year  left to go in order to gage my progress.

1| Attend brand camp with Hey, Sweet Pea - When I created this goal this class was more in theory than practice and it turns out, I'm not ready for this jump yet.  However, I've found really valuable classes here and I've registered for a few of them, and have plans to take more in the fall when my schedule frees up.
2| Squam in the Fall - registered!
3| Take a homesteading class - completed in April
4| Take a trip to Lincoln for a non-agenda weekend with my sister  - completed in May
5| Return to yoga - I could cross this off the list because for the first 4 months of the year I attended yoga weekly.  As usual, I realized how much my body needs the flexibility, but life got busy and I stopped.  I think this will be a goal I am constantly working on.
6| Write 5 lines of gratitude daily - Same as #5, I got off the bandwagon and need to get back on.  I've got a project in mind you'll probably see show up soon that I hope will give me motivation.
7| Get my garden going at the new house - It's not perfect, but it's there, and I'm working towards rebuilding the nutrients in the soil for a great fall garden.
8| Make a date with the specialist I've been putting off - completed in January
9| Run the Tour de Fleurs 10K in the Fall - Sadly, this race is the same weekend I will be at Squam so I am searching for another run.  I have neglected my running routine and this will be a physically challenging goal to reach, but I'm determined to get one race in this year.
10| Go on vacation - looking at October
11| Work on my personal style - Talk about a work in progress!  I'm trying to step into my own and finding out what that looks like is similar to walking through a maze.
12| Do one thing this year that scares me - News coming soon...

Another Year Older...

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I celebrated my birthday last Saturday.  I marked in my journal that it was not notable.  cc has the flu and I spent the evening on my porch with the day's mail and a cocktail.  The weekend plans had to be canceled or rescheduled. 

In a lot of ways it was nice.  I decided not to cook, do any housework, and only mess in the garden to keep the plants alive.  It was an invitation to relax, and I did.

I started thinking about my life and all the blessings I have, but also realized how boring I've become.  The word fear kept slapping me in the face trying to get me to pay attention to it.  So I spent time trying to define it and resolved to concur it.  I made a pact to find adventure again in my 33rd year.  I was the girl, after all, that picked up and moved to Texas on a whim. 

So, here's to adventure.  I suppose this is what I had in my mind when I set my word of the year.

2012 Word of The Year

Simon Christen | Eloquent Pixels

When I started this blog, my goal was to hold myself accountable to the life I wanted to lead.  It was to be a record of that journey as well as a platform to share what's important to me with others.  To say it out loud; so to speak.  Last month I started pondering if a shift in my writing had taken place.  I typically sit down in December and go over the last year.  Not so much to see if I failed at my resolutions, but rather to tally up what I did and did not do.  My writing seemed to go through cycles.  Part me, part what I thought you wanted to hear.  Truthfully, I spent too much time worrying about what others were doing and occasionally got caught up in "I must follow." 

This time of year there is so much pressure to write something profound versus prosaic.  Words that lead you to believe that the author has some how got it all figured out.  Worksheets, grandiose goals, and mantras have polluted the blogosphere and I somehow feel like I have to keep up. 

Frankly, I don't have it all figured out.  Not sure if I ever will, but I do know that I want this blog to continue being the space that holds me liable for my best life.  I want it to inspire, be adventurous, and knowledgeable.

All that being said, I do have a word for 2012 because, despite what the bandwagon does or doesn't do, I believe that having one word that you can say and post on sticky notes around your house can remind you of all the poetic things you want to do this year.  It should be based on where you are in your life, which is determined after en evaluation of your needs, your wants, and what is actually doable.  Throw in a little of something that scares you and you're bound to be successful. 

My word for 2012 is ACTION.  After my yearly assessment I realized that I'm a great dreamer and an even better planner, but that's about as far as it goes.  When it comes to actually making something happen, I often times fall short, especially in regard to my dreams.  This is a year for movement.  To not only put on paper what I want out of this year, but to actually start putting my feet to the pavement and making it happen. 

Here's to seeing ACTION this year. 

Cheers!