Flourish; My Word of the Year

I can’t even remember my word of the year for last year. I probably chose it with good intentions, but last year was anything but intentional. I took leaps and risks, started a new job and moved into a new rental home. The year was about finding my footing again. I do not make resolutions either. They often feel like a punishment. If I do make goals, they are usually something I want to learn or experience in my life.

I have felt it all last year that life was moving far too fast. The fastest spring of my life, the fastest summer, the fastest fall and then the fastest holiday season. Come and gone. Too much to do to keep up and it just kept going; the fastest year to my memory. All year long my heart kept saying “slow down!” and my brain kept responding, “I’m trying! But how?”

All December I thought about what I wanted the new year to look like, to be like. And I sent my intention. “Maybe my word should be simplicity,” I thought. I certainly needed more simplicity in my life. “Or how about thrive?” Perhaps that would imply I am not already thriving or doing enough when I already am. “Flourish, ” my heart responded. “You want to flourish right where you are”

Flourish is my word of the year. I have a new studio space now, I want to make it flourish. We love our new rental home; I want to finish organizing and decorating every room. Working as hard as we do makes it difficult to maintain our home but I really do want to take pride in our home life. I want to cook more meals and learn more recipes instead of going out to eat because it is easier.

I would like to return to writing more blog posts again and being more active on my blog, YouTube, and Instagram. I enjoy taking photos and writing and then sharing them with other kindred spirits. With my new job this year and all the overwhelm I ran out of time for myself. I want to prioritize the things that bring me joy this year.

In 2023 I had all these blog posts and craft projects planned. I had so much I wished to create and share. I wish I had been able to create more and blog it all more often. I have all these drafts saved to my blog waiting to be completed. This is the year I will do them. I am not going to hold myself to a strict schedule; life is never on schedule, but I do want to prioritize posting regularly again.

I would like to continue learning new skills with my garden and the apple trees behind the cottage. I want to learn how to cook more meals and how to can from the abundance in my garden to preserve it for later. More meal prep and less food waste. More meals together as a couple over eating out. More movement and nature over sitting at a desk.

This year I sat down in the tea parlor and wrote down some of the things I want to do and learn this year. I kept the other half of the page blank so I can add to it as the year goes on.

You do not have to make lofty goals this year You can simply choose to bloom where you are planted.