2023, This One's For You: Goals and Word Of The Year

Lifestyle
Written By Caralyn Mirand Koch
 
 

2023 is here

Each year I stare at a blank computer screen
for weeks in an attempt to write this post.

The new year came, and I felt less than inspired or motivated to do much of anything, especially goal setting, after the challenging few weeks that we’ve had. But I genuinely believe you can set goals or reflect at any point of the year, so if you haven’t thought about goals for the year… don’t stress about it! This time of year is always particularly challenging for me. The spirit of the holidays has faded away, the weather is gloomy and cold, and I’m overall just not feeling like my chipper self.

Last year, I was incredibly moved by a few of my friends and fellow bloggers’ posts that are worth the read if you’re interested. My pal Jess Keys of The Golden Girl Blog wrote a post on skipping the “results-oriented” resolutions. I deeply related to her points on not setting or even being interested in setting big results-oriented goals this year and viewing that as positive. Reflecting on her words made me feel validated in wanting to coast a little bit instead of that constant grind and girl-boss mentality. My friend, Candace Read of Candacemread.com, shared a vulnerable Instagram post on uncomfortableness and navigating through many disappointments of the year, including a failed IUI and IVF. Her words are always soothing and encouraging to read, no matter the topic. One of my favorite quotes from her post read,

 
 

I wanted to share this because I know life can look perfect for all through these tiny curated squares. But the truth is that life is hard, and some years are harder than others. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek out the good and relish in those moments. But I think it is equally important to look at our pain and our hardships and see how we have overcome them. I hope this encourages someone. - Candace M Read

 
 

And lastly, my friend, Ashley Robertson of The Teacher Diva, shared her word for 2022 and some attainable goals to support them. I love the idea of choosing a word, so much so that I did this last year and would like to do it again in 2023.

 
 
 

First, let’s recap 2022

Last year, my word for the year 2022 was “balance”
but with the assistance of the words “abundance” and “ease”.

Reflecting on last year, I think I did a pretty good job of finding more balance in my life. One thing I did learn, though, is that things will most likely never be an even 50/50 split (or 25/25/25/25 or however many things you’re constantly juggling). I realized it’s impossible (for me) to evenly distribute your time, energy, and resources. Not everything will always be even or fair; sometimes, things have to give.

I’ve grown my business to a point where I’ve gotten more comfortable asking for help in areas and learning to let go of my perfectionism a little bit. Keyword: a little bit. Running a business and working alongside your spouse is a blessing, but it isn’t without its challenges.

I think over the last year, we’ve done a great job of identifying our strengths and weaknesses and identifying where we could benefit from others’ expertise in running the business. On a personal level, I foresee this being even more beneficial for our marriage and being able to enjoy each other more outside of work.

 
 
 

Onto a bigger and better 2023

I struggled with this year’s word. As I mentioned above, I haven’t been in the mood to goal set and have yet to be inspired by the new year. I read through a bunch of word lists (I just googled ‘word of the year ideas’) to see if any words popped out at me, and here are a few contenders I wrestled with on paper:

Brave | Change | Grounded | Adventure | Grace | Evolution

Something big is brewing for this year; I can feel it.
Without further ado, my 2023 word of the year is:

intentional

When you are being intentional, you choose to make decisions and take action on what's important to you. Being intentional means getting clear and upfront about what you want to achieve, something I’m not always good at. You intentionally set an intention to achieve a specific outcome or result in the future that is important to you.

I accidentally wrote this one down twice on my brainstorming list, so I thought that was a sign and feels suitable for the unknown year ahead. I would love to approach this intentional year with grace and feeling brave. There are no rules here, so feel free to choose more than one word. I always think the supporting words make this more fun! After all, I’m a “more is more” kinda gal.

From the people I choose to spend my time with and what I choose to consume in person and online, I’d like to be more intentional. As incredible as this job is, it can be 24/7 without any boundaries or intentional time spent away from it. Over the last year or so, I’ve implemented not looking at my phone (social media or email) for at least the first hour of waking up and an hour before bedtime. While I’m not always perfect at it, this allows me to start and end the day with a more evident mindset without the constant scrolling. I also think unfollowing accounts that don’t bring you joy, value, or inspiration is essential. It may sound harsh, but protecting your mental health from accounts that cause self-doubt or don’t make you feel great is important.

You are in control of your feed.

Be intentional about it.

 

As I turned 30 a few months ago,

I feel newfound confidence in who I am and less tolerance and patience for people (or things) that drain my time and energy. I feel confident in who I am online and offline, being able to lay my head down at night, knowing that I try my best and lead with kindness. I’m flawed and have plenty of room for improvement, but I don’t feel I need to try as hard to be liked, knowing that I’m not going to please everyone.

You can’t be everyone’s favorite flavor of ice cream,
do you know what I mean?

I don’t have any answers, but I have always been committed and honest about sharing my journey. Thanks for choosing to stick around and be a part of this community from the highest to the lowest and everything in between. Whatever goals you may or may not have already for this year–I hope you can embrace and feel good about that! And if your only goal is to stay right where you are, I think that’s something to be celebrated.

I would love to hear your thoughts below.
As always, thanks for reading.

xx CMK

 
Caralyn Mirand Koch
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