2016 Word of the Year
Happy Monday, friends, and more importantly Happy New Year! I know I stopped by yesterday for our link party, but today I thought I’d start the new year off right with my 2016 word of the year!
My word for this year is:
SLOW
Okay, I know what your thinking. Slow? Really?
Before I get to the whys, let’s reflect on 2015’s word: Nurture.
Last year, I was really feeling a calling to rein things in. To be healthier and also nurture my creative spirit. Luke and I successfully completed two Whole30s and lost a bunch of weight which made us feel really, really good. We also got to travel and to reunite with our family in Spain which was also another way of nurturing ourselves. Not only did we get to spend time catching up but also a lot of time by a pool relaxing. We also nurtured our creative side. Luke building furniture while I also painted a lot of furniture but tried out watercolor and drawing. I had so many wonderful opportunities in 2015 – you can see the highlights here. BUT with all these opportunities came a busy-ness. Passion was fuelled by frenetic energy. Getting ready for two big shows to showcase furniture, trying to get the she shed finished in a few days and a weekend because of our trip. On top of that, add in the busyness of family life. Tidying the house, taking the boys to all their activities and helping them with homework, caring for Poppy, creating healthy meals and running more errands than I can count.
Sigh.
2016, for me, is going to be a year of slow.
We spent time over the holiday walking the beaches and exploring the jetty by the lighthouse and we didn’t rush. We just took our time.
Do you find on days you go fast and you rush around that you get NOTHING done? Nothing. That is what I find. I’m a list person and I love crossing off all my chores and jobs. I even write down things that I’ve already done so I can cross them off. Am I the only one that does this?
But rushing around isn’t fulfilling? Being busy is more of a curse. Sometimes I feel like I get caught up in it all. How many things can I get done it a day? How many can I cross of my list? When was the last time you heard someone say, “Gosh, I wish I was more busy?”
I took some time between the holidays to reflect on my dreams and goals and hopes for this New Year.
What I really, really want is time to focus my energy on things that are important to me. Lots of time with my family. The boys are growing up so quickly and John (our 9 year old) even stayed up with us to ring in the New Year. I know I’ll look back and wonder how they both got taller than me. I want to live intentionally. To focus on goals that have loomed over for some time. I want to finish the ebook. I want to start my memoir on my family’s restaurant. I want to become better at watercolor. Finally, I want to give myself permission to take time and go for the walk, or to yoga, or to take a nap or sit and read because all those things are just as important as rushing around and crossing things off the to do list. Actually, those things are more important. Life is for living, right?
We’re not going to do the Whole30 again this year but focus more on whole nutrition and slow food. What is slow food, you ask? The slow food movement focuses on celebrating local foods. Eating what’s in season. Cooking from scratch. I gave Luke the cookbook Plenty for Christmas and also got Conor lots of kid size cooking things and a lovely little cookbook with step by step instructions. He tells me he dreams of being a chef AND an artist, but worries he won’t have time to do both successfully. He is only 6 so I told him he has time to figure it out.
Our extra time will be spent planning on delicious meals to consume together. Sometimes when one is too busy you make food choices that aren’t beneficial to your body or your mind. You crave Fast Food or food high in sugar or fat. We’re going to try and eat more veggies and local organic food in 2016. All the while enjoying the time and the company. We’ll also be growing our own vegetables this year and will be better at planning the garden. We now have two raised beds but only had one last year. The tomatoes in this salsa were from our garden.
The projects we will do on our home will be slow but meaningful. There are so many little things I haven’t been able to do and actually Luke and I have a big(ger) project planned as well. I’ll share more soon about all of the DIYs.
Finally, I’d like to share a quote from Jamie Lee Curtis from one of our favorite books. It is called Is There Really a Human Race?
What is your word for 2016?
Would you like to slow down with me?
i love your word, and i love that jamie lee curtis quote! i also love the slow eating concept- i try to do much of that, but it doesn’t always work out. and my kids are terrible eaters. 🙁 emmy and connor i think would be buds though- she is into art and cooking as well! she got a bunch of cooking supplies, her own mixing bowls and measuring cups and cookbooks for christmas! so fun! looking forward to an amazing 2016 for both of us, my friend!
Thanks so much for sharing your One Little Word for 2016!! Mine is Wellness! Here is a link to my post:
http://debbie-dabble.blogspot.com/2016/01/my-one-little-word-for-2016.html
There is a blog party for New Year’s Words and Resolutions over at Create with joy. The link is on my Side Bar and in my post.
Hugs,
Deb
My word of the year is heal. This year hopefully will be a year of transition and new beginnings, the growth and realization of my ideas and planning, but to make that a reality, it will be a time of healing too. I love this post, and thank you for sharing. And yes, I also am an avid list person who adds things I’ve done that day just to cross them off to show myself that I’ve accomplished SOMEthing if my energies happen to divert to other non-list items that day 😉 Enjoy your week!
My word this year is recover, I was injured at work 2 years (going on) and workers comp has done everything to stop my doctors from getting me treatment. Now I have a lawyer and things are moving and finally getting done so I think I am on my way to recover! My kids will have their old mom back instead of this lump of a person who is on meds to stop pain and can’t do much of anything. I will recover what I lost, recover what time I lost with them. And recover myself, my me, my everything… Read more »
I think your plan sounds fantastic. Watching you walking on that jetty was so relaxing to me. Then when I saw the empty jetty picture, I was remembering when I was able to walk on the jetties. How I wish I was able to take those long walks again. When you can’t do that simple thing anymore you remember the little things you took for granted. I applaud your eating plan. I am a healthy eater normally but went on overload for the cookies this Christmas, sugar and my body don’t like one another. I WON”T repeat that for sure.… Read more »
I think your word is a perfect choice in the fast paced times we live in. I hope to implement many of the same things in our home this year. Best wishes for a wonderful 2016 for your family Danielle!
I love your word and appreciate your recap of last year. I think your 2015 focus word will be mine for this year. Life was on the fast track for me, and with a new job my willingness to take care me was put on hold. I love your watercolor and can’t wait to see what else you create this year. Funny we both have furniture-making husbands, too. Happy New Year!! Love your blog and all that you do.