One Word for the New Year

Twas the night before back to school… and well I just was not ready for winter break to be over when I sat down to write this. These past 10 days have been full of friends, family, fun and more food than I probably should have eaten. And we’ve only recently fallen into a relaxing groove of leaving our pajamas on all day and lounging around the house. We’ve only just learned to be lazy. Especially me, who always seems to have a never-ending to-do list. Who always feels the need to have the laundry going or the be working on something. I shut my lap top on NYE and barely opened it all weekend. I read a book, I colored, I cuddled and I binge watched. And I could have kept at this for a few more days or weeks. For me winter is about slowing down, and after this holiday season I definitely need that. Like a bear I want to hibernate. But that’s never really an option.

And with the start of the new year my mind seems to be buzzing with all of the New Years should dos. Like I should be trying to eat healthier. And I should be removing clutter and cleaning up. And I should be setting out on a new path and making plans and laying out how I want this year to unfold.

But I’ve been around the sun enough times to know that no matter what plans I lay out, what great resolutions I make or what expectations I hold myself too, that life is bound to surprise me. If you had asked me last year where I would be right now I never would have guessed so many of the things that happened in 2015: the good, the bad and the unexpected.  And I ended 2015 so much happier than I began it.

And while last year my one word (s) for the year was “own it”, I started the year on unsteady feet. And yet wonderful things still happened. But this year I feel on firmer ground, much more sure of myself and where I’m headed. I’ve changed gears and it’s been mostly good. I am honestly excited about the start of the New Year for the first time in a long time. I’m excited about life and this space and of course this baby that is coming in April. And I really felt no need to pick one word for 2016. 2016 has only just begun but already it seems full.

Then I noticed a lot of other bloggers picking one word for the year and I felt inspired, maybe it’s good to have a focus even when life is full. Before I found out this baby is a girl, before the holidays rolled in, I kept seeing the word, “joy” everywhere I looked. And I felt like it meant something. So this year it’s going to be my word because I felt so much joy these past few months and I want more of that. I want more things in my life to bring me joy. Whether it’s the way I parent or the state of my office (which is such a mess that these days it brings me no joy). I want to focus on finding the joy even when it isn’t always easy to find, like when I’m 25 weeks pregnant and cranky. I want to find joy in my work, even if that means finding a new job. I want to stop maintaining friendships and commitments that have stopped bringing me joy. I want more from 2016, I want better. even if it means I have to work a bit more for it.

Do you do NYE resolutions? What is your word for the year? And if you have 5 minutes, take my beginning of the year Wine In Mom reader survey, I would greatly appreciate it.