A few years ago, I was inspired to choose one word to guide me and inspire me in all that I do. After reading The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin, I quickly realized that shorter (monthly or quarterly) resolutions worked best for me and that having a word to meditate and concentrate on when the going gets tough has been helpful!
If you would like to learn more about Ali Edwards One Little Word, read here.
My past words:
2011: Peace
2012: Balance
2013: Grace
2014: Grow
2015: Content
Each year the words related to what was going on in my life. Peace helped me during a difficult time in my business when I was adding publisher to my resume. Balance came at a time when we transitioned into having two children and I felt completely out of whack in everything in my life! Grace came during a time when I was trying to find a way to be the perfect mom. Thankfully, I realized that I am doing the best I can! Perfection is unrealistic and I am not alone in this journey called Parenthood. I’ve increased my support system and improved communication with my husband all along practicing Grace. This year I chose the word Content. I have this thing about me that is always looking for the next project or improvement. This is great when it comes to my job but in my home life, I just want to be content with what is. If it’s not broken, no need to fix it, right? Practicing gratitude comes easy to me and I am getting much better at acceptance but living each day without having to add endless, unnecessary tasks to my to-do list would be nice. Since the new year, I have cut down on how many errands I run because a lot of that was just time fillers for me. Not necessary. Practicing being content should also help me with my new shopping budget (we are using the app Mint.)
Together, as a family, we set some goals for the year. This month I decided to make more time for pleasure reading. I have already read three! If I could stick to one a month, that would rock. I love relaxing before bed and unwinding to a book. You can find out what I am reading on my virtual bookshelf (or what I’ve read in the past) on Shelfari.
Happy New Year and I hope that you have found ways to set realistic and attainable goals for yourself. Growth is a good thing!