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Looking Ahead for 2013

When 2013 arrived on Tuesday, I was elated. There were so many difficult moments in 2012, and leaving that behind feels so, so good. Upward and onward, right?

And so far, the year is pretty good — the kids returned to school this week, and are so excited to be back there. Their school staff and teachers are doing an amazing job of making everyone feel comfortable in their new school home. Work is off to a great start as well — things are looking up on that front. But all isn’t perfect (is it ever?) — one of our beloved beagles is struggling to recover from a neck injury. We’re doing everything we can to help him and hoping for the best.

Usually by the time the new year arrives, I already have my resolutions and goals all set and share them almost immediately. But this year is a little different, and it’s taken me a few days to really get my thoughts together. Finally, I am ready.

#OneWord

Are you familiar with the #OneWord movement? You choose one word to represent what you want for the year. Then you live it every day. I love the idea and decided to incorporate  it into my 2013 goals and resolutions.

In choosing my word, I thought a lot about what’s happened recently. Ultimately, I want to leave behind the days where I was too stressed to enjoy life and too busy to do anything meaningful with my family. So I finally came to one word that I’ve used a lot lately — I think it’s the perfect one to really encompass what I want this year.

My word for 2013 is joy.

Resolutions

I promised my resolutions would be a lot simpler this year. I really wasn’t kidding … here they are:

Work Smarter, Not Harder — In 2012, I worked too much. In many ways, it felt like it took over my life leaving little room for anything else. This year, I want to work smartly — taking on meaningful work that will be rewarding both spiritually and financially. And I want to make sure while I am doing this that I set better work boundaries — so when I am not working, I am really not working.

Play Often — When I play games with the kids, their eyes light up. It’s such a beautiful thing, and I want more of that in my life. Moreover, I want to fill our lives with fun things — outings to amazing places, trips to the playground, time with our friends and loved ones. This year, 2013, is going to be a year of play for us.

Be Healthier — I laid out my three goals for my healthy resolution on Sarah’s Cucina Bella. Basically it comes down to this: I want to put in the effort and time necessary to lose, lose, lose. It doesn’t matter how much — as long as my weight goes down over the course of the year.

A Few More Goals

Of course, I do have just a few more little goals that I want to accomplish too.

  • Earn more this year.
  • Take a vacation.
  • Read 52 books (yes, again).
  • Grow the work and readership of my blogs.

So … what are your resolutions, goals and #oneword for this year?

PS – The glass bottles? That’s the handiwork of my friend Cate. These are in her dining room.