My One Word for 2019

Friends, thank you so much for celebrating our big news in 2019 (if you don't know what I am talking about, click here.) We are so excited to collaborate with 1canoe2 to create products that speak to the quiet, rich moments that we so cherish on our farm. I absolutely cannot wait to share more sneak peeks & thoughts with you in the upcoming days & weeks! 

And with the new year comes new intentions, strategies & rhythms! I am a big believer in fresh starts & setting goals that get me from where I am now to where I want to be. One big way I do this is by picking one simple word that will guide my intentions for the next 365 days.

I have been doing this practice since 2013!

In 2013, my one word was Joy. In 2014, I lived out Quality. In 2015, my one word was Pursuit. In 2016, the word Provision rang true in my life. In 2017, Peace was my anthem. In 2018, I was drawn to the word Better.

2018 was crazy hard & crazy wonderful - there wasn't much in-between. We worked harder & longer to better our business than ever before, and I truly fell in love with my work. We traveled a lot & we were more intentional than ever about our marriage. I began attending a Masterminds Group & a seed of personal development was planted in 2018.

But I also learned one hard lesson - I cannot do it all, all at once. Most nights I felt completely depleted by the day's work & wasted many hours in front of the TV instead of reading a good book or simply going to sleep early (why is that, friends?!). 

I also felt more disconnected than ever from my creative self & my social self. I poured so much energy into work that there wasn't much left for simply being creative or investing in friendships. I felt really alone at times.

So in light of 2018, my word for 2019 is Grow.

This word kept coming back to me over & over again. And while it's a simple word, I know it holds so much potential for self-discovery & self-development. 

Here are some tangible ways I will live out the word Grow in 2019:

1. Physical Health: I will get back to the basics in 2019. No crazy fad diets, no elimination. I believe in good food, moderation, exercise & the WW lifestyle because that's what works for me. I'm excited to feel my best physically so I can tackle other areas of my life. 

2. Relationships: I will invest more deeply in my marriage, friendships & work relationships with fellow entrepreneurs. I am excited to continue our weekly date & I am challenging myself to stay off of my phone when I am in the car with Luke. I also want to start another Book Club & have monthly game nights with friends. I am also excited to continue my Masterminds Group & deepen those relationships.

3. Emotional Health: This is the area I know will be most transformative & also the hardest. In 2019, I will dedicate time to my emotional health by reading personal development books & listening to podcasts. I love walking & plan to listen to podcasts while I am doing that. I also want to take a pottery class. 

4. Work: In November & December, I worked 7 days a week & it was so, so hard. In 2019, I am hiring more employees & empowering them with parts of our business that were once my responsibility. I am also creating a work schedule that has protected days off so I can have more margin in my life to achieve the above intentions. I also plan to attend a business conference.

This is a big year & I am excited to make some big changes!

What is your word for 2019? How has choosing one word impacted your year & life? Share your thoughts in the comments, friends!

love,

natalie