Last year I established some really wonderful habits.
It’s like I came out of the baby fog and could finally handle keeping myself accountable. Should I have done it earlier? Yes. Am I better late than never? Definitely.
Side note here … Still very much in the toddler fog. But I suppose I’ve just acclimated.
I rarely struggle with deciding on my word of the year. It’s usually apparent. I usually know in December. But this year, I wandered.
I finally landed on pace. While on a run actually. Go figure.
As I let it sink in and began outlining my year in the context of pace it made more and more sense.
Slow. Steady. Sprint.
These are my paces. This is exactly what I need to live well.
Slow
Slow is not my nature. I do not appreciate down time and I do not care for activities that don’t feel productive. Trust me, that sounds all go-getter, but it’s really just annoying. To not be able to sit and watch a movie without adding to my to do list or constantly feeling like I’m forgetting to do something important gets old. But slow is sometimes necessary. And slow is not bad. This year, I want to recognize when a slow pace will serve my family and I best. I’m going to find slow moments, slow seasons, and practice doing the minimum so I can enjoy the most.
Steady
In 2017 my word was routine. It has stuck with me. Creating habits and regularity and fair expectations in this often chaotic season of mothering has become my lifeline. Children thrive within boundaries and well, I do too. So this component of pace, holding steady throughout the inevitable ups and downs of the year, is the bulk of my goal.
I want to steady my emotions. I want to steady the rhythm of our days. I want to steady my marriage and other important relationships. Even keel. Unwavering. Committed to consistency.
Sprint
It’s scary to push for something. It takes time and energy and there is risk involved. What if I fail? What if I’m not good enough? But sprinting grows us. Committing time and energy to a sprint will stretch my capacity and hopefully leave me feeling proud, no matter the “success”. Trying … pushing … it will be worth the effort.
I *think* I’ll feel a decent balance if I aim for slow 10-20% of the time, steady for 70-80% of the time, and sprint for the final 10%. I’m not sure of the exact breakdown, obviously, but that is at least the hierarchy. That feels sustainable, to choose less for a little, push for more a little, with the majority of the time focused on good routines and habits that serve myself and my family well.
With February around the corner I’m excited to put this all into action. January was a good slow month to ease into things. I’m already practicing that varying pace … I think I’ve got this :)