We did it! We made it through another year! That’s cause for celebration, don’t you think?
This entry is going to be a short personal update. I have a lot more content planned, coming soon.
And what a year… I don’t think I know anyone who had a peaceful, easy 2022. Seems like we’re all in the same boat of white knuckling through it all, especially if you have kids and especially if you are at all prone to getting sick (this winter is a doozy and it’s not over yet…).
And for me I’d say the last six months of the year were the most difficult. I have a lot of half finished blog entries and art to work on posting when I get the time!
We ended up (finally) getting COVID in December and I’m still getting over some of the long term symptoms, myself. Along with the famous “COVID cough” I’m feeling a lot more fatigue and weakness, but I know it’s getting better.
2023 Goals
I like to spend the first week of the year thinking about the past year and brainstorming what I’d like to bring to the new year. I’ve never been one for making big resolutions*, but in the past few years, this planning process has helped me a lot.
*As an aside about New Year’s Resolutions, I think it’s really trendy advice to say not to bother making them because so few people actually stick it out, but actually I think there’s nothing wrong with resolutions. People like to point out that something like 90% of people fail to achieve their resolutions, but if you think about it, that’s kind of amazing. Roughly 10% of people manage to do something HUGE thanks to New Years momentum. If there was no such thing as New Year’s Resolutions, no push to make goals or rethink your life, what percent of people do you think would do something huge every year? But I digress…
Health & Fitness
- I’d like to try to recover physically from COVID, raising my cardiovascular health and stamina
- I want to dance more!
Creativity
- Art journal every day
- SHARE more of my art and writing online
- Learn Gouache painting
- Learn Adobe Premiere and practice making videos
Family & Home
- Take a family trip
- Enjoy small moments together through mindfulness
- Declutter a lot of stuff!
Intellectual
- Read 100 books again this year
- Enjoy the National Geographic subscription I bought myself for Christmas
2023 Word of the Year
In addition to goals, I have been enjoying selecting a “Word of the Year” every year since 2020. It’s something that can work like a mantra or a focus or an inspiration. It could be a theme, or something you’re trying to call more of into your life.
In 2020 I chose the word Emergence, because I felt like I was in a cocoon, about to emerge. 2021 was “Fly,” as I was trying to take those new wings and really test them out. In 2022 I chose a less active word, “Presence,” which served me well in learning to appreciate the moment and find joy in little things.
This year I felt like I needed another active word, something that would inspire me to act when I get stuck in cycles of research and self-doubt…
My 2023 Word of the Year is…
Adventure
What I see in the word “adventure” is that it doesn’t have to be a physical thrill or voyage.
It’s simply a process of discovery.
You start with “I wonder what would happen if…” and finding out IS the adventure.
Do you ever choose a Word of the Year? Do you find them helpful?