Words for The New Year
Recently I got together with a dear friend, Sarah Moore, for some 2019 intention setting. We’ve created a little tradition of sharing dreams and setting goals together for many years now, so we came prepared with prompts to help guide us through reflecting on last year and moving into 2019. Our process culminated in choosing a word to carry with us into the new year.
My word is playful! I want to play more in my work, my creative expression, my yoga practice, my wardrobe, and my approach to daily life. More color, more spontaneity, more trying new things. I’m ready to invite more levity into my life as this past year was heavy with grief after our first son, Ellis, was stillborn. Read more about that here.
Another reason I’d like to be more playful is that I tend to overthink and/or get distracted from new projects, which holds me back from really jumping in. For example, this blog post took me several days to think about because I was simultaneously creating my writing plan for this year, updating my website and social media presence, and trying to launch a newsletter. I became locked down and unsure of where to start. This tendency is rooted in my unrealistic desire to have everything be “perfect” before I release it out into the world. I’m hoping to embrace more play in my writing and let go of perfection.
I also want to cultivate play in my yoga practice, which will soon include teaching. You may not know that I’m currently half way through a yoga teacher training program at Esther Vexler Yoga School, which I’ll graduate from in May 2019. This program has been healing for me physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and I’m really looking forward to sharing what I’ve gained with others. This semester we’ve started to practice teaching and I’m learning that my style is naturally playful—I like to be poetic and creative with my cues and sequencing.
When I told my husband Hunter about my word for 2019, he decided to choose his own word: uncomfortable. I thought this was such a good choice, considering his enneagram nine personality, The Peacemaker. He’s realized that he is not fully living his truth out of fear of imposing on others. He also recently finished his master’s program (yay) and wants to establish new habits throughout his weekly routine with the additional time and flexibility that is now part of his schedule.
Most of us are imposing changes on ourselves in the new year and while I believe this is ultimately good, just remember to be kind to yourself because change is uncomfortable.
Do you have a word for 2019? Here are a few prompts my friend Sarah put together to help you connect with your inner voice. You can also join her 12 Experiments project if you’d like to create more structured (and fun!) intentions for the entire year. Over 100 other people are participating in 12 Experiments for 2019!
My three biggest accomplishments in 2018 were…
Three things I learned from mistakes in 2018 were…
What three stories am I telling myself that no longer serve me?
I would love to accomplish these three things in 2019…
Now choose a word that somehow embodies a direction you want to go or an approach to life that you want to cultivate.
What is your word for 2019?