Happy New Year! It is that time again where we collectively think about what we’d like to accomplish in the year ahead of us. As I’ve said in the past, I don’t really do the “new year’s resolution” / very specific goals thing anymore. Rather, I try to come up with a few words or themes to focus on throughout the year. This has worked well for me in the last few years so I am continuing again in 2022.

Last year, my focus words were “Gratitude, routine, and calm”. You can see what my 2021 review was if you’re interested here.

In 2021 I also made a vision board for the first time in years. I took the digital approach last year, meaning, I threw together an arrangement of photos and text to describe my hopes for 2021 and then made that collage my desktop background. Looking back at it now, I am shocked at how many of the things came true for me! A lot of those goals were very personal so I won’t go into too much detail. But I will mention a few – I had hoped to continue work on my book, which I did! I made a lot of progress in 2021. I also had hoped to make some new friendships in 2021 which I also did! I am looking forward to making my 2022 vision board desktop background very soon.

Intro aside, these are my words/themes for 2022!

Thrive, be present,& nurture.

To thrive,

In 2022 I want to not just exist but aim to thrive each day. What is the difference between existing and thriving? The answer would be different for everyone. But for me, I interpret this as taking time each day to accomplish a task that is important to me beyond things that I “have” to do. As a stay-at-home mom and homemaker, a lot of my day’s tasks revolve around caring for others as well as our home. It is easy, especially while also being pregnant and tired, to get the bare minimum done and end the day there. Over time though this way of living becomes very unfulfilling. Prior to the pandemic, I had many more opportunities to step outside my role within the home, to meet up with friends occasionally, or to just go to a store or for a drive alone. I haven’t done that nearly as much in the past two years.

So for me, thriving would be adding in some dedicated time for myself each day. With Julia in preschool 2.5 days a week this should be a little easier now than it will be in the summer, especially with two children. But even during that time, I aim to take some time for myself each day. It could be as simple as reading a chapter of a book, working on my own writing or journaling, or getting out of the house alone for a little while.

To be more present,

Towards the middle to end of last year, I deleted the Facebook app from my phone and began to use Facebook much less in general. During the holiday break I took I also put my phone on do not disturb one day and honestly forgot to set it back right away. The result was, although I still grabbed for my phone for apps that I do like to use, without the vibrating notifications I found myself using my phone quite a bit less. Now it isn’t realistic to have my phone on do not disturb at all times, especially with my daughter in school and my husband at work. I need to be reachable in case of emergencies. But I am considering turning off notifications for my apps and muting text conversations for those who I know would not contact me in an emergency. The goal is not to be unreachable, but instead, to remain focused on who and what is presently around me and to set some limits on when I check my phone. Being more present for me is so easily solved by limiting my phone use. I’m sure a lot of people can relate to that.

Another thing I would like to implement to help this goal is to plan my days better. Planning and being present may not seem to connect to each other but for me they definitely do.
On the days that I do not have a clear set of goals for the day in mind, it is so easy for me to lack motivation and wind up using my phone more than I’d like, therefore, disconnecting from life and the goal of being present. When I have even a general idea of what to expect out of my day, it is so much easier for me to focus on what I am doing and to stay present. Sometimes I look back at my posts from 2019 and I find myself thinking “who is that girl? I want to be more like her!” Before the pandemic, my life had a very clear routine and that is where I have always thrived. I think there is a part of me still hoping that life will go back to “normal” sometime soon, so I have had this internal resistance to making new a new routine for myself. But I think it’s time to accept that, things are not going back to “normal” any time soon, if ever. We’ve been in a new normal for almost two years now so it is time to find a routine that fits with this time. I strongly feel that a few tweaks in my daily routines will help so much with my desire to be more present.

To nurture,

I truly do love being a mother, wife, and homemaker as my main daily focus in this current season of my life. Although without proper balance, it can be overwhelming. Last year was hard on me emotionally – it had little to do with parenting or homemaking, but mostly to do with outside people and forces that took my focus away from what mattered to me most. We moved into a new home in late 2020, yet, in 2021 I barely spent any time taking pride in our home. I was too exhausted to take on the projects I wanted to, keep up with organization to the degree that I prefer, or make our home feel more like a haven – something I have always prioritized since becoming an adult and having my own space. I spent so much of the last year in survival mode. Thankfully, I was able to eliminate or move past a lot of the outside forces that were causing me to fall behind last year and I am looking forward to staying focused on nurturing the most important parts of my life again: my children, my marriage, and our home.

I am entering 2022 with the hope that it will be a great year. Last year’s lesson of acceptance will carry over to 2022. I cannot control the forces outside of me, but I can control how I respond to them. This year my focus will remain where it belongs – on my family and home.

I hope that this post finds you well. I have a new post scheduled for this coming Saturday so be on the lookout for that!

Until then,

sending love and light,