Do you have a New Year’s ritual? 

We have several in our home, mostly they involve food. However, each year instead of setting a resolution, which never really inspires me, I choose a word for the year. The purpose of this word is to set intentions for the year and to frame the year’s goals, mindset, and experiences around this word and intention.

Last year’s word was Explore. 

And as you might imagine, the intention didn’t work out as I’d hoped. When I chose the word, my mindset was to explore the world, to travel more, to learn about other cultures and to see other places.

Didn’t really work out that way, and initially felt like a catastrophic failure. However, upon reflection, I did actually explore a lot. It was just a lot of internal exploration instead. And I don’t do a lot of that, I just plow ahead without really looking inside or backwards. This internal exploration, actually reaped some interesting results. 

For example, I realized, like Dorothy, that there’s no place like home. My priorities weren’t what I thought they were. After having moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, we moved back to Colorado and have actually spent a lot of time exploring Denver and learning about the city. There are other things that my exploration led me to discover, but I won’t bore you with the details. 

So what’s the word for 2021?

Clarity.

This year, I’m working hard to not only find clarity about my paths forward, but also to hold onto that clarity and to not doubt it or myself. 

I feel like the past two years have been foggy  for me. My kiddos are on their own now and my purpose and identity have shifted. We’ve moved 3 times and working as a nurse during COVID has left me exhausted and unfocused. Looking ahead to 2021, a lot of big things are happening and I’m excited for them. So…clarity is required to stay clear and focused on what I want.

What about you?

Do you set intentions? Make resolutions? Choose a word for the year? What criteria do you use to decide your intentions, resolutions, or words? 

 

To help set the mood…here are some past New Year’s posts:

My New Year’s Romance Writing Resolution – http://35.87.42.106/my-new-years-romance-writing-resolution/

More New Year’s Romance Writing Resolutions to Ponder – http://35.87.42.106/more-new-years-romance-writing-resolutions-to-ponder/

What’s Your Word for 2011? – http://35.87.42.106/whats-your-word-for-2011/