It’s January – completely happy new yr, buddies! I’m feeling able to welcome the clear slate and contemporary vitality that the beginning of a brand new yr brings. Hiya, 2024!

The children went again to highschool on Wednesday and I’ve been in a giant decluttering and organizing spree which has felt actually good. On the agenda for this weekend is to take down all our Christmas decorations – as a lot as I like having the tree out particularly, it’s time to get issues put away and cleaned up!

At the moment’s weblog publish will share some reflections on 2023, in addition to my “phrase of the yr” and focus for 2024.

2023 Reflections

Enjoyable reality: I by no means ended up getting round to deciding on a phrase of the yr for 2023, which actually feels fairly apt as final yr felt actually hectic typically. I keep in mind having a observe on my to do listing for months about writing a phrase of the yr publish, and by late March I lastly gave up and took it off my listing. It simply wasn’t going to occur, and that was okay.

2023 was a very good yr in numerous methods however it was additionally a LOT. We had a ton of massive household transitions particularly that made the yr really feel a bit hectic and that required numerous emotional vitality from me.

In mid January final yr Wes began college for the primary time, and it was a giant adjustment for him (and subsequently additionally for me as I helped him via some huge emotions round the entire scenario).

It took a couple of weeks however as soon as Wes bought right into a groove with college he began to get pleasure from going and would run proper in fortunately, which was great. Having out of the home childcare was a significantly better match for all of us by this level.

Since all of us actually favored the brand new routine, it meant it was an enormous bummer in June after we went again to our outdated schedule the place Wes was with our babysitter 3 mornings every week after which with me each afternoon and the opposite 2 full days. Each single time for all the summer season when our sitter arrived Wes would burst into tears and cling to me. I felt so responsible and it was a lot emotional vitality for me to assist him via the transition a number of days every week, and likewise anytime I by chance bumped into them in the home.

Wes was additionally in a section over the summer season (and sometimes nonetheless now, however fortunately a lot much less) the place he thought it was hilarious to dash into the center of the highway/not pay attention even when one thing was harmful. Ah, toddlers. Not for the faint of coronary heart…

For sure, by the top of summer season I used to be utterly fried, behind on work, and my nervous system was very overloaded. I used to be thrilled when each children went again to highschool in late August and have been on the identical schedule for the primary time ever, too!

Fall 2023 was a very good season however it was BUSY. Because it was the primary time principally since Riese was born 6 years in the past that I had a big and constant chunk of time to dedicate to work every day, I really feel like I bought just a little over bold in my pleasure to hit the bottom operating and mentioned sure to method an excessive amount of.

I had a ton of journey, each with and with out household, which was actually enjoyable but in addition meant the time that I used to be house was additional busy so I may cram in all of the work I needed to get carried out. I had numerous sponsored partnerships in fall 2023 which was great as a result of it was manufacturers I used to be excited to be working with, however in hindsight it was simply an excessive amount of on my plate directly. I used to be additionally continuously sick, which made it fairly apparent that I used to be over-functioning.

2024 Phrase of the 12 months

Setting an intention for my years is one thing I at all times get pleasure from doing – I discover it actually useful to take the time to take a seat and take into consideration the vitality I wish to deliver extra of into my life, and I’m excited that I really feel like I’ve the psychological (and logistical) area to make this reflection time a precedence once more this yr.

Once I was interested by what kind of vitality I needed to welcome in 2024, what got here up most strongly for me was eager to simplify and decelerate.

Much like my final weblog publish a few phrase of the yr (2022 – my phrase was Recalibrate), I’m feeling prepared for a reset and a reanalysis of what’s working and what isn’t in each my life (private + skilled) and the lives and every day stream of our household.

How am I spending my time? And is that point serving me/my household positively ultimately, or merely protecting me busy?

Which brings me to my 2024 phrase of the yr: Ease.

Coming off such a busy fall season, I wish to once more embrace much more intention by way of what I’m saying sure to, and what a sure will imply by way of what I’ll must say no to as a way to accommodate it.

Regardless of how busy I let final fall get, I’ve carried out a ton of private development work over the previous couple years, and I’m clearer than ever on the truth that I now not wish to be somebody who sees my private price as tied to my productiveness. I grew up considering that my achievements have been a very powerful factor about me, and over the previous couple years I’ve labored actually onerous to untangle these ideas and actually consider that what truly issues about me is my coronary heart, and my relationships.

Do I wish to have a profitable enterprise? After all, and I’m not going to cease making an attempt to be strategic and to advance my enterprise in a method that feels aligned with my values, and that can assist others/do some good. However I now not consider that having a profitable enterprise or making some huge cash is what makes me fascinating or worthy of affection and recognition on the planet, and because of this it’s simpler than it was once for me to prioritize and get clear on what actually issues.

Much like what I wrote in my 2022 phrase of the yr publish, the phrase Ease isn’t about making broad or sweeping change, however tuning in and paying extra consideration to which issues will add stress to our days vs. cut back it, and simplifying when doable to unlock more room for pleasure within the right here and now vs. at all times dashing off to the subsequent factor.

I’m curious – do you set a “phrase of the yr” or intention? And in that case, I’d love if you happen to needed to share!