Who doesn’t love a fresh start? There has always been something so motivating and energizing about the start of a new year for me. Maybe it goes back to my childhood as a kid in a military family. Each move to a new assignment was a chance to start over, do things different, be a slightly upgraded version of myself. I think we all like to shed an old skin and slip into something that fits a little better.

For me, 2023 will be a big year in a number of landmark ways. Honestly, I feel like every year is a big year. I’m turning 40. I’ll have been married to Cactus for 10 years. And we’ll have lived on this little farmette homestead for 5 years. Pretty wild. I make Shutterfly calendars every year so I get those weekly emails saying Memories from this week (#) years ago… They blow my mind because some things that happened two years ago feel like forever and some thing from five years back is still crystal clear. As a parent, I love to see how my girls are growing and changing from year to year. And it’s an opportunity for me to see my own progress. If you look for it, there is always a reason to pause and soak up the good stuff.

I’m not big on resolutions anymore. They feel like a lot of hype and expectation. Intentions feel much more realistic and within my control. Instead of “I want this to happen or I hope X comes true” it’s more like “I will make this effort/bring this energy/put my focus on X to achieve this result.” Here are my intentions for 2023:

1. Choose to have an open heart. I’ve felt hurt and broken by many things, people, and events in my life causing me to become less caring and connected to people. I don’t think most people are trying to hurt one another. I think we are all just struggling as best we can. I don’t want that to stop me from helping someone in even the tiniest of ways.
2. Enjoy what’s in front of me. Over the years, I’ve become a big pre-stresser. Some people pre-game, I pre-stress. Perhaps that’s anxiety but it’s more like I run through events before they happen to anticipate how I can make them go smoothly. I really just want to trust that if I’m present, I’ll do what’s best and handle the situation well in the moment. And if not, see #3.
3. Loosen my grip. Understand that things don’t go perfectly and that is part of the journey. From parenting to gardening, it’s all trial and error. Variables in my control, elements beyond my control. But I can always look for the lesson and appreciate the experience.

How will you make 2023 your best year yet?