If you have followed me for any amount of time then you know how I feel about New Years Resolutions. The whole “New Year, New You” thing is overblown and quite frankly it sets you up to fail before the new year even begins.

It is also an excuse.

Instead of making changes NOW, people wait until the New Year and then when it goes to hell in a handbag (as is usually the case) people throw in the towel and wait until next year. It’s such a waste.

When it comes to celebrating the new year I personally use reflection to measure where I’ve been and how close I got to whatever my goals were last year. Then as I’m looking towards what I want to accomplish this year I set a theme or word of the year.

My word of the year is my guide. I have it placed prominently in places I’m going to see/read it everyday. It is a reminder of my goals and what I want to achieve in the days, weeks and months to come. Sometimes it changes, but most of the time whatever word I begin the year with is also the one that will close the year out.

In 2020 I chose the word Connection and Lord how necessary was that when lockdowns started? I wanted and needed to feel apart of something even when we were told not to physically interact. That word became a lifeline I didn’t know I would need when setting it.

In 2021 my word was Intention. To go through my year doing all things with intention. More then once I found myself asking why I chose that word and those were the moments that I knew I had chosen well. It’s hard to do things with intention if your way of life doesn’t always align with what the majority believe. I married a contrarian and I don’t like to do what everyone else is doing, so acting/thinking/living with intention is a must.

Even with Intention, as 2021 wrapped up I found myself feeling trapped and small. I felt like I was too comfortable and I felt lazy. I was content to just coast, and that seemed fun until it wasn’t anymore. I wanted to be pushed. I wanted to be forced out of my comfort zone. I wanted to be sure that I was not in the same place in December of 2022 as I was in 2021.

So my word for the new year is Growth.

Growing is my focus. Personally, professionally, and though the path is still unclear spiritually as well. Embracing discomfort is a significant step in growing, so taking the time to wrap my head around being uncomfortable on purpose. It scares me a bit. I know there are things I’m not going to enjoy, but in the end how much better off will I (and those closest to me) be because I embraced the “suck” that most people are not willing to face.

Might sound a tad arrogant, but if it pushes me out of that space of “meh” that I was feeling at the end of 2021 it’s worth it. Regardless of the things around me that are out of my control (of which it seems there are many) I’m going to make the best of 2022.

I hope you’ll join me!

SG