Slow Down: My phrase for the new year.

2023 was a busy year for me, and I am SO ready to slow down in 2024. That’s why I’ve decided to make it my mantra for the new year.

Not just a New Year’s Resolution…

For as long as I can remember, almost everyone I knew set a new year’s resolution every year on January 1st. Promises to go to the gym, to lose weight, to quit smoking, to get organized, to make more money… They were always super into it at first, but then it would start getting harder and eventually felt impossible. Moods would plummet, self worth would lessen, and they would get angry with themselves. That, or they would just give up. (Sound familiar?)

I actually read somewhere that a lot less than half of people are actually able to keep their new year’s resolutions. Too many unrealistic goals or maybe just too many goals… Not enough progress so you start to lose momentum…

Choosing a word instead.

Towards the end of 2019, I started seeing a lot of posts all over social media talking about choosing a word of the year instead. I found it super intriguing and decided to look more into it. Everything I read seemed encouraging! Instead of committing to a resolution that may be unrealistic or lose your interest after a while, you chose a simple word or short phrase. That becomes your guide for your decisions and for how you spend your time and thoughts. It’s how you are deciding to show up. What I really love about it is that it is something that can adapt with you as you grow and change throughout the year. This makes is more achievable, but still powerful. All you have to do is be intentional.

In 2022, I chose fearless.

I looked at my old journal and this is what I wrote:

“For 2022, I’ve decided to be fearless. It’s going to be hard and tricky at times, but I’ve thought really hard about it and I’m determined to make it happen. Not only determined, but excited. I’m done holding myself back because I’m afraid of what might happen. 2022 is going to be different. I’m going to be different.”

I had spent so much of my life making my decisions based on fear. The fear of not being enough, of not being loved, of not being perfect, of getting hurt again… I was terrified to ask for help or to say no to people and things that did not serve me, and I was sick of living that way. So the year became about boundaries- ones I was setting for my interactions with others and ones for interacting with myself.

I decided to no longer let my fear and anxiety rule my life. No longer would I hold myself back or keep myself small. It was a lot of work, but the result was a much more confident and happier me! Of course, there were still days where I was full of fear, but I showed up anyway. And I was really proud of everything I was able to achieve.

In 2023, I chose follow-through.

I chose follow-through because I felt stuck. Stuck with my business, stuck with friendships, stuck with weight loss or with my home renovations. I would start things with excitement, feeling motivated and powerful… But then as the newness started to wear off, so did my motivation. There were always reasons or excuses to stop. I realized that I was getting in my own way. I realized that if I wanted to be able to accomplish anything, I had to start following-through. The result? I stopped letting myself give up when I got close to success. If I said I was going to do something, I did it. I had to find a lot of ways and tricks to navigate my multi-passionate, hard-to-focus brain, but I did it! And it resulted in so many accomplishments and achievements. I managed to make things happen that I’d dreamed about for years!

And so that brings us to 2024. The year where I will intentionally ‘slow down’.

When we’re constantly in that go-go-go mentality, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. We get tangled up in all of our ambitions and commitments and don’t always take the time to rest or appreciate all that we have. That was me in 2023. The year was absolutely full of accomplishments, which I’m very proud of. However, there were also a lot of points where it felt like a blur. Points where I may have missed out on the simple pleasures of everyday life with my husband, kids and family. And so for 2024, I plan to slow down.

I’m not abandoning my drive or my ambition, but I will be more adamant about enjoying the present moment, celebrating the things I’ve accomplished and enjoyed the life that my hard work has provided for me.

I’ve also realized that I allowed my body to take a beating this past year.

Living with fibromyalgia, I know that I’m supposed to listen to my body and not overdo it. I know the value and importance of rest and self-care. There were points in my determination to see things through that I ignored the signs that my body needed a break. I pushed through and ended up sick or bed-ridden for days at a time. And so this year, I’m determined not to fall back into that pattern again. I will be nurturing myself and making sure that I’m getting plenty of rest.

I want to reconnect with the things that make life worth living.

For me, that includes things like painting just to paint and not because of a commission. It means taking the time to prepare meals with love, making sure to choose ingredients that I feel good about and that make us feel good in return. It means making sure that my home is clean and uncluttered, warm and comfortable. It means sleeping when I need to sleep and allowing myself to cancel plans when I need a break. I want date nights out with my husband or nights where we plan to do nothing but sit on the couch and enjoy each others company to reinforce and deepen our connection. Making time for yoga or kickboxing or a walk in nature when I need to destress and not feeling guilty about needing a little me time…

Most importantly, it means focusing on my beautiful children, growing so fast that I’m afraid to blink. I don’t want to miss a moment, a laugh, a milestone… I want to be fully present and in order to do that, I know I need to slow down. I can’t let myself be trapped by ghosts of the past or constantly worry about my future. It’s all about the present- right now, with the people I love. They are absolutely the most important thing in my life and I want to make sure that I honor that in every way that I can.

I will not be stopping or quitting or giving up.

I am still going to set goals and work out ways to make them happen. Still make sure that I’m following my calling, living with purpose, making an impact and contributing positively to society in a way that I can be proud of. But I will also slow down and take time for all of these things that also matter. I’m going to listen to my body, my heart and my soul in order to find the balance that I need to fully enjoy my life.

In 2024, I will slow down and make sure that I am living deliberately and intentionally.

Will you be setting a mantra for the new year?

If so, but you’re struggling to figure out what it should be, I highly recommend journaling to figure it out! That was how I figured out what to chose for me over the last few years.

As you may know, journaling is my go-to tool to reccomend for figuring out our minds or our hearts. I really think it’s one of the best things we can turn to. And if you need a journal, feel free to reach out to me and I can help create a personalized one for you. If you have your word already, I can custom even make you a journal with that word burned across the cover so that you have a visual reminder to inspire you all year long.

Here’s an example of the one I made for myself with my ‘word’ of the year:

Still having trouble or not sure how to apply your new mantra? I’d love to coach you through it. You can check out my coaching offers here for a one to one exeprience or head over to my facebook group for more of a community style support.