I know that it’s the beginning of February, and 2019 is already one month old, however in many ways it is the beginning of the year for me. Work begins to pick up this month and while winter in the Midwest rages on outside, the countdown to Spring has begun. It won’t be long before the buds begin to bloom on trees and the early shoots of green begin to emerge from the cold ground, whether there is snow or not.
January was by no means idle. It is often a time of preparing for me. In fact, I had an epiphany this year regarding how I approach my time. Every year I find myself at the end of the year eagerly looking towards a break. After the flurry of the holidays, there is always some time when people are home, businesses are closed, and work, in general, stops. People take time off to be with their families, and the world, for a moment, slows down to an unhurried pace. Every year I think, “I’m going to get so much done and catch up on stuff that I’ve been putting off.” My ambition is great and every year I underestimate just how much I need to rest and take a break.
Which is what happened again this year and I was even more ready for a break than normal. I also didn’t spend my fall beginning to plan like I normally do because I was engaged in the campaign. The Ah Ha moment stopped me as I realized that I sabotage myself before the year has even begun. I preach self-care, but then don’t always practice it which is why I took a true break during the holidays and spent January getting ready. Now I get a chance to do things differently this year if I stay open to learning and self-awareness.
Which brings me to the point of this year and how I’m approaching growth and development. The last few years have seen big growth steps for me which is wonderful and has me considering what is next. Much like starting out wanting to fit into a bigger suit last year, this year has me wanting to fully embody and own the suit. I did an inventory of the areas in my life and what I wanted to focus on and then picked something.
Rather than try to do many different things, I decided this year to focus on one theme- value. What is the value or worth of what I do? How do I measure that? What habits support this and what habits hold me back? My word of intention for the year is “unhurried.” How does this hold what I want? It requires me to plan, manage my work and my time, and be prepared vs. running around and doing things last minute. It has been a seismic shift for me so far and I’m so excited to see how things change as a result of this shift.
I’m excited about this year and what the future holds. I love the tension between planning and declaring certain things, while also being curious and open to what unfolds. I believe we create opportunities, I also know that they don’t always come in the forms that we think they will: leaving room for magic and wonder to occur. That is something to look forward to. What is your one big thing this year? I’d love to hear what you’re up to.