Happy New Year, friends! I know I already made that grand statement when I shared more about my favorites from the decade, but it didn’t feel right not to have a dedicated post to welcome in the new year and share my thoughts, word(s) for the year, and 2020 vision. Ha! I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. 20/20 vision—get it?!?
If you’ve been a reader of mine for awhile (always a huge thank you) then you might remember we do a 12pm kids countdown every year with our little guys to celebrate with them. It works out great because they aren’t half falling asleep, cranky or tired, and still full of energy to celebrate. Confetti has been our thing for years now, followed by a milk and cookies toast, which always creates some fun moments. After we saw some glistening specks of confetti still floating around in our flowerbeds during the summer, we learned that putting a sheet down to collect all the remnants is the best idea. Total cleanup saver.
I’ve never really been one to go all out with trying to narrow down new year’s resolutions. Mainly because they can be a lot to remember and I usually lose focus after the first few weeks. The past few years I jumped on the trend of picking a word for the year, which I love, because it’s easy to remember and something you can strive for throughout the year. But this year, when I was thinking about my word, I really had some struggles with it.
If I’m being completely honest, my word for last year was fearless, and if I truly look back on the year and all that it entailed, I think that was an ambitious word to choose. I remember in that moment it felt so right to focus on that word, and I felt really hopeful. I also stand firm in knowing that the scripture tells us not to be fearful and to cast our cares upon Him. I think we did an ok job of that throughout the year, but there definitely were times where fearful moments would make their way back in. I’m not going to beat myself up over not being completely fearless (because in reality is that actually possible?), but it did put things in perspective when I reflected on how I want to approach this year.
I had a moment where I got so caught up on trying to narrow down this one word for the year that I started to frustrate myself. So many things that felt typical popped into my head, being intentional, healthier, more self-care, but for me that felt forced and not relatable at the moment. That wasn’t what this was supposed to be about. It’s supposed to be a time of reflection and really thinking about what I want to strive for in the start of this new decade, not to try and impress everyone with this perfect word to live up to. So you know what? I’m not picking a word this year. Instead, I’m picking word(s) and areas that I would like to focus on that feel relevant in the moment, to help me to better myself as a person, and for the people around me. Maybe if I did a mid-year look-back this all might be different, but for now, this is where I’m at.
At first I contemplated on having my word be organization. Plain and simple. But, there are a few other things I want to focus on this year aside from just that. Organization is already kicking off to be a huge part and focus for us this year, which I’m proud of. If you’ve been keeping up with my insta stories then you’ve seen that we already started tackling some projects, like revamping our playroom. I like to think I’m an organized person, but when it comes down to it, there are so many areas I can improve on with this. I want my house to have purpose, order, and feel at peace. A lot of that comes with having organization.
Another area I want to concentration on this year is prioritizing my time. It’s been a bit of a struggle for me having my days feel structured and productive since I’ve been home now with C. One would think that you can get a lot done while your kids are off at school, but when you try to fit in so much that sometimes it’s too much, before you know it it’s dinner time and everyone is hungry. There are days where I have high hopes for getting a lot done but then the baby will be extra needy, or not cooperate for his naps, and everything I thought I would get done gets pushed down my list. I know these things will only be temporary, but I do feel like there are little things I can adjust to help prioritize my days better. I also want to focus on prioritizing my relation with God even more. I want to be more diligent about my devotionals, making time for prayer, and continuing to seek and draw closer to Him. I want others around me to feel God’s love shinning through me and make it more of a priority to lift others up in need.
I also want to prioritize this little space of mine a bit better. While I love sharing our family adventures and using this as a way to look back on our memories (which I will still do), I also see those moments where I post about what’s on my heart are where we can connect even further as a community. Those posts where you like getting party ideas, hearing more about blogging resources, or our home renovation projects, are what open up conversations that allow us to learn even more about each other. I also truly appreciate any feedback you send my way that helps me to have a better understanding of what draws you to want to visit and read more on Beautifully Candid.
Something else that has been heavy on my heart is responding more in love. What do I mean by that? Well, there are moments when my sweet little boy crew isn’t exactly the sweetest and can certainly get under my skin. I’ve fallen victim to raising my voice, chasing after them when they don’t listen, respond with open ended threats (if you don’t knock it off there’s no tv for the week). I don’t want to be that person. I don’t. I think my kids have learned that they can push the limits and now we need to curb that. I also know that if I want them to respond to me in a loving manner, I also need to be the example of that. Now, before you think I run around my house all day screaming, that’s certainly not the case. But there are moments where if I took a deep breath and focused more on wanting God’s love to shine through me, I know that I could respond differently.
So while this might not be a ground breaking revelation of how to tackle 2020, it’s what I’d like to do for me. What I feel would help to make my focus attainable and areas where I can continue to strive for improvements. Here’s to organization, prioritizing, and responding in love.
I’d love to hear more about some areas you want to focus on in 2020!
