My Words for 2014: Simplify, Seek, Savor
I love this trend in the blogging world of choosing a word to focus on throughout the year, and I’m hopping on the bandwagon for 2014. As I’ve mulled over what I want 2014 to look like, a few different words keep coming to mind. So I’ve chosen three words, not just one, to be my mantra this year. Ironically, or perhaps conveniently, they all begin with “s,” so not only are they fitting, they’re also alliterative. For someone who’s in the business of words, that’s a pleasurable thing.
My first word is SIMPLIFY. Back in Grand Rapids when I was newly married, I did a pretty good job of keeping things simple. I meal planned, I shopped local, I organized. I created a home that felt – well, homey. My time felt evenly distributed. I had a routine for everything, one that worked. Then, I had L, we moved halfway across the country and into an apartment less than half the size of the one we were renting in GR, and I started working from home. And suddenly, I had no idea which end was up. Life didn’t feel so simple anymore. Half of my belongings were relegated to a storage unit out of necessity. I didn’t feel comfortable in my new locale, didn’t know how to find what I’m looking for (I still don’t, for the most part). My closets are literally overflowing. I’m more Costco than Buy Local. Life just feels more complicated, more crowded. So my plan for the year is to figure out how to make life feel simple again. How do I feel less foggy, less overwhelmed? How do I create a life in which I feel like I can breathe again?
My second word is SEEK. Back in GR, I cultivated relationships with a few close friends and facilitated two social groups I really loved: a book club and a cooking club. I had a whole slew of favorite places: shops, libraries, natural settings I loved. I had a solid fitness routine. I had the time and space to do all of that with a lot of ease. The only thing I didn’t have was a home church. Now, I miss my friends, my local haunts, my beach, my running routes – and I still miss my last home church in Chicago. None of this was complicated, but I really haven’t worked very hard to find replacements, because parenthood and working from home make it too easy to just stay home, not branch out. I need to learn to be intentional about how I’m living all over again, in a whole new context. I need to seek out the people, places, and habits that will enrich my life here.
My third word for the year is SAVOR. Thanks to L, I’ve learned that it’s critical to do life at a pace that allows you to go slowly, to be present in every moment. In 2014, even as I’m focusing on simplifying our home life and seeking opportunities for personal enrichment, I need to be savoring every moment, every experience, and remembering that each day is a gift from our father in heaven, from whom all good things come, and who wants us to enjoy this life he’s given us, not to rush headlong through it. I don’t want to lose sight of that.
What’s your word for 2014?
Every blessing to you in this new year, friends.
