It's hard to believe that this is my eleventh year of choosing a word as a resolution for the year. As I've written in previous posts about this practice, my words have grounded me and reminded me of what is important and what I'm working on. There's something about a single word that has provided the focus I need to live with intention and remember my resolution for the new year.
I've had several conversations with family members, and I've gone back and forth between words for 2024. My daughters have reassured me that I don't need focus-- one idea. They've also convinced me that I have a fairly solid vision-- another possibility. I thought about dream, but I have complicated feelings around that word; I'm not sure it's a resolution-worthy word for my 2024.
With a little trepidation, my word for 2024 has landed on time. My daughters are in their twenties, so I don't have the pressures on me to chauffeur, help with homework, or make sure there's enough to eat for six people. Without a college soccer player, my weekends feel less structured with opportunities for doing things and reconnecting with people. I've been paying attention to the amount of time I spend on the New York Times puzzles since that amount has grown with my discovery of Spelling Bee and the mini crossword puzzle. I know I spend a lot of time on my Peloton, and the app is quick to tell me exactly how many minutes I've spent in the seat. My freelance work involves explicit logs and schedules, so I have a record of that time. But what else do I do with my time? My hope is that my word helps me pay attention to the balance I find between purpose and play, productivity and idleness, connections between myself and others, exercise and recovery...
Time is a commodity, and 2024 will be the year I pay attention to how I spend it. I'm looking forward to it!
