You know that meme that’s floating around about entering 2022 quietly without touching anything? That’s exactly how I feel.
In 2021, for my “word” I chose strength, which was the perfect choice for what the year would bring. Most times last year felt hard, every day felt the same and I felt stuck. Until I wasn’t. I learned to lean into the little moments, embrace the ordinary and let go of the reigns to just let things be. I learned to feel my emotions, good and bad and go through them to work through them. It was a journey, which at times felt like a slog but I ended the year feeling like the journey was worth it, and started the new year feeling content.
So on that note, for 2022 I’m choosing the word “steady.”
Steady: regular, even, and continuous in development, frequency, or intensity. Firmly fixed, supported, or balanced; not shaking or moving.
I choose to be steady in my day-to-day. I choose to be the temperature gage for my family, bringing calm even when the world is not. I choose to be consistent in my self care and my routines to keep my mental health in check. I choose to be intentional in the frequency of quality time with Rich and the boys, especially in our marriage for date nights and the day-to-day check ins that have fallen to the side as we dug in to get through this season. I choose to be supported by my amazing family and friends and ask for help when I need it. I will remain the calm, consistent leader that my team needs. And I choose a steadiness that will help me to be firmly fixed on to balancing what truly matters to me.
I’m not setting big goals this year, but I’m instead choosing to be consistent.
- This year Rich and I will celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary! The pandemic + season of little kids has been a challenging one, but lately we’ve found a good groove and I want to lean into that in our day-to-day. I want to be more intentional about spending time together, either in 15 minute check-ins or date nights out/at home. We also have some big “adulting” changes that could happen this year financially and career-wise. We also want to celebrate our anniversary with a big family trip- depending on what happens, we either want to do an East Coast road-trip or dream of Hawaii.
- Self-Care has become a way of life for me and it’s how I survive our day-to-day. I want to continue to move my body in a way that feels good for me and am still loving having a home gym in this “work from home/live from home” season of our life. I want to encourage myself to take lunch breaks, as it is key to getting through my days. Lastly, I love winding down the day with a bath and reading after the kids go to bed, so I want to keep that up as well.
- Our family is currently working on our “pause” button when tension runs high, as they do when we’re living in the current state of the world. Rich and I try to be intentional about how we show up as a family and model for the boys and it’s always a work in progress. Having a high-energy 2 and 6 year old can be a test of patience, but I’m working on going at their pace and remembering to enjoy them while they are little. On that note, I want to continue to spend quality time with my boys- even just the small nuggets of time like reading to them before bed are what we’ll remember!
- Career wise, things are really good! I started a new leadership role in October and I couldn’t be happier. I want to continue to “earn my stripes” on my new team by supporting my team in their success and making impact in larger projects.
- I want to focus on my friendships and building our community. 2021 was a year of transition as B started school and we started to figure out whatever this “new normal” would be. The pandemic caused us to narrow our circle and revealed our true friends, so in 2022 I want to continue to lean into positive relationships and our little bubble of support.
- Lastly, my overall goal for 2022 is to continue to be intentional about how I spend my time and find the little joys every day – from a workout that was exactly what I needed to start the day, from bringing my full energy into my meetings, to taking breaks for hot meals and time to myself during the day, and winding down the day enjoying the little moments with my boys and taking time to connect with Rich at night. The little things are big things, and I want to be steady in enjoying them in 2022!
