Today I'm sharing my Focus Word for 2016, as well as how I plan on using it to shape my year.
I'm not normally one for making resolutions. I tend to set my expectations unreasonably high on a day-to-day basis and come down really hard on myself when I don't meet them. The possibility of failing at keeping my resolutions has always been enough to convince me that
making them wasn't such a good idea.
But one of the many lessons I've learned while navigating the ups-and-downs of motherhood over the past ten months has inspired me to reconsider resolutions --
just because something doesn't work the first time around doesn't mean it won't work this time.
So, I've decided to approach resolutions from a fresh perspective. Instead of making a list of specific acts of self-improvement, I've opted to select one word --
a focus word -- to help guide me through the year.
Quite frankly, I've been feeling a little lost for the past several months. I've been so consumed with the baby that I'm finding it more and more difficult to identify who I am outside of my relationship with her, especially when conversations I have with friends or family members inevitably circle back to Caroline.
Setting motherhood aside for a moment...
I want to stop going through the motions and find purpose in 2016.
I want to spend as much time as possible doing the things that light me up inside, the things that give me a sense of fulfillment at the end of the day. I want to combine my passions and skills in such a way that allows me to make a more gratifying contribution to the world.
I'm still in the early stages of plotting my course, but I've already begun thinking of ways I'd like to use my focus word to shape my journey to
find purpose:
- Last year, I started making editorial changes on Taste As You Go that included writing on a more relaxed schedule and writing about the things that I deemed worthwhile. This year, I intend to continue moving in that direction because I want to use this space for the purpose of sharing my stories with you. Some will be food-related and some will not. All of them, however, will be a little more personal.
- Taking the time to find purpose in 2016 will help me become a better person, which, in turn, will help me become a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend. Over the next year, I want to identify what my purpose is in certain relationships, strengthening the ones that mean the most to me and letting go of the ones that are no longer mutually beneficial.
- I'm much happier when I have a little bit of structure in my life and the space around me is relatively neat and organized. Unfortunately, "neat and organized" is more difficult to come by with an infant in the house who loves pulling up, cruising, and putting everything she can get her hands on into her mouth. Stephen and I repeatedly comment about how we have "way too much stuff", so this year, I want to declutter our home and decide which items serve a functional or meaningful purpose for our family and which do not. (I'll be sure to share more about my decluttering process in a future post.)
While I'm a little intimidated by what I've set out to do this year, I'm also really excited to see where this journey will take me. I just have to keep reminding myself of
something I've said many times before:
“You need to believe in yourself and to have the courage to move forward with the changes you want to make.”
Here's to believing in myself and having the courage to find purpose in 2016.
Do you have any New Year's resolutions or a Focus Word for the year? Tell me more about the journey you want to take in 2016 in the comments below!
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One year ago:
Menu Plan: January 4 - January 10
Two years ago:
Salmon en Papillote with Lemon and Swiss Chard
Three years ago:
On the Side: Homemade for the Holidays
Four years ago:
On the Side: Some Resolutions
Five years ago:
Brunch at Il Bastardo
Six years ago:
How They Found My Blog: Week 6
Seven years ago:
Pass the Plate and Support Cook for the Cure®
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