a little word for 2014.

{image from Design Love Fest} 

I've been picking a word for the year for the past few years. It's not for everyone, but I am a girl who loves resolutions. Goal-setting is my jam. I love when the calendar turns a new page. I get a fresh new start to play with, a new year to call my own. Picking a word for the year is just another way for me to enter in a new phase of life, a way to welcome in a new beginning. 

Last year, my word was choose. Not a day went by that I didn't regret that stupid word. Every day of my life in 2013 required a choice, hard choices. I was reminded of that word with every contract I signed, every business risk I took. I picked choose because I wanted to be reminded that I could do hard things; I wanted to mature and come into my own. I did those things, but it was painful and tricky, and quite frankly, I need a different kind of year this year. 

My parents begged me to pick peace or calm, and I understood. I think either one of those words would have worked for 2014, but I think ultimately I would have been disappointed. I'm not sure we're meant to have calm in 2014, not when the previous year ends with a new business and the the new year starts with a new house. That doesn't speak calm to me. 

Instead, this year needs to have a little more home. I embraced work with open arms last year, and I'm glad. It was a year for big dreams and bigger adjustments. Work deserved its place of prominence, but my other priorities got a bit out of sorts. I'm afraid the business owned me a little last year, and I need that to change if Jordan and I want to own The Bookshelf for the long term. 

My word for 2014, then, isn't particularly exciting or earth-shattering. It comes with lower expectations, and it won't really look that awesome on a necklace. It's a little boring, and it won't resonate with everyone I know. 

This year, I need balance. 

It's the right word. I breathe a sigh of relief just typing it, speaking it out loud. It's not particularly adventuresome or ground-breaking, but it's what I need to get my life back on track after a roller coaster year. And I know, too, sometimes balance won't be possible. Some seasons will require intense emphasis on one thing or another, and my life will be a little off-kilter again. That's okay. Each season will have its own purpose and pattern. Overall, though, I want balance. I want a home of peace and calm, of happy and bright. I want work to go back -- at least in part -- to being work. I want my spiritual walk to bring me the joy it did before. I want my priorities to be fixed and renewed. I want balance.

In light of this word and the purpose behind it, I've got five goals I'll be focusing on in 2014. I tried a little something different with my goals this year. Jordan got me Lara Casey's Power Sheets for Christmas (he gets me), and I've been poring over them for the past few weeks, picking them up when I had a minute, trying to put 2013 quietly away and welcome 2014 with open arms. I'd highly recommend Lara's goal-setting method, if just as a way to center yourself every few months. Using her tools, I came up with these five goals. 

ONE

I want to establish morning and evening routines that help create peace in our home. I want our home to be a refuge at the start and close of each day. I want true rest. 

TWO

I want to create boundaries in work this year; I want to remember that this dream job is still a job -- it is not the end all, be all of my existence.

THREE

I want us to find our place in Thomasville and at The Bookshelf. I want us to create community while being ourselves; I want to embrace new starts and build friendships. 

FOUR

I want to dwell in gratitude and stay connected with those I love far away. I want to build relationships near and far and be Jesus to the people I interact with and work with. 

FIVE

I want to make time for adventures with Jordan. I want to adjust to new work schedules and find time for travel and true rest. 

---

There may be more for me to say about these goals in the weeks to come, but this is my starting point. I've got action steps written out to make each goal happen, but basically, I want a different-looking, joy-filled 2014. I want to embrace The Bookshelf, but I also really missed spending time in our home last year. I missed visiting faraway friends, missed traveling with Jordan. I'm tired of missing things. And the missing of things made me a tad bitter about a job that's supposed to be a dream. 

So it's time for a change. It's time for balance. 

2014, I'm coming for you. Get ready.