And the Thought Process Behind It
Well, it’s been a month of 2021 and I have yet to share the word that I chose here for this year on the blog.
I wanted to share my word for this year because I shared some journal prompts to help you pick a word and mission statement for a new year or season of life. And it just felt right to follow that up with my own thought process so you could see how answers to the prompts formed a direction to follow.
When I reflected on 2020’s word Courage and the way that affected my decisions, I realized that I went into last year with a courage to commit to all that I could in order to measure up to my idea of success. By the end of the year, I learned that I actually needed courage to quit!
Measuring My Progress
In this urgent pursuit of all things success, I was truly developing a courage muscle. Courage to assert myself, courage to cry in front of others (crazy, right?), courage to try new things, courage to start my own business! I went from entrepreneurial dreamer to a business owner, learning how to approach business relationships and turning a mental vision into a reality.
However, along the way, I was making a mess. A mess of commitments, a mess of schedules (all the obligations blurring together), a mess in my living and work space. This was a hindrance on my wellbeing and my effectiveness. For example, I had no space to decompress which led to me neglecting my blog, garden, my physical fitness.
Dare I say, neglecting my relationship with my daughter and family. Burnout is a thing and it doesn’t only affect you.
Celebrating the Bad & Good
One, I celebrated the fact that I started a business. I celebrated freedom to make choices for my life. I celebrated some other personal achievements that I won’t share just yet. But I will add that this journey has had much to do with embracing God’s design for me just as He knit me while He formed me in the womb. 2020 opened my eyes to the fact that every strength of mine has its weakness and every weakness is where God is perfected. This goes for you, too!
On the flipside, I am grateful to have experienced lows along with the highs because they taught me a lot. With this new courage to try new things came opportunities for new quests: mastering balance. I was doing too many new things at once, or at least trying to.
God gifted me with competency, a desire to act and an aptitude for learning. Strength. In this design, there is also space to learn balance, execution and patience. Weakness. This was the biggest two-sided theme for me.
Setting My Personal Dream Goal
In reflecting, I learned many things. Courage does not always look like we expect. Hard things are doable and really fun once you shift mindsets. And, God designed me to be slow, creative and orderly. There is the stereotype that artsy types are typically cluttered and I certainly fall under that stereotype. However, it drives me nuts! Especially as it goes beyond material clutter into mental clutter and time clutter and duty clutter. Haha, yes duties can get messy when you are being pulled in a million different directions.
My aptitude for learning and trying new things can be a little hard on me and my loved ones. The lack of balance threw us for a loop. This revealed an opportunity to seek a smooth and stable rhythm that supports my wellness. If my wellness is in check, then my progress is in check. Rather than spreading thin, this year is about moving with direction and purpose. Staying in the groove! Holding onto that sweet spot even when life tries to pull me away.
My Word of the Year, Mission Statement and Bible Verse
HARMONY, defined:
| a pleasing arrangement of parts: CONGRUENCE | a painting exhibiting harmony of color and line |
| AGREEMENT, ACCORD | when a woman’s desires are in harmony with those of her husband |
| internal calm: TRANQUILITY |
I also selected this Bible verse because the passage is about living in harmony with other believers. The entire passage reminds us not to judge others by what they do or don’t do while being mindful of how we affect them. Sometimes I can make my life a habit of appearing perfect to others but that really just caused me to judge myself by forgetting Heaven is not about how I restrict or push myself. What am I modeling to those around me?
The truth says that, Heaven is a matter of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. That feels a lot more harmonious.
The first step I took in harmonizing my life was converting my personal Instagram profile into the landing page for The Hopemade Woman. In an effort to not overshare my multifaceted personality, I was compartmentalizing myself and therefore, compartmentalizing The Hopemade Woman community. The Hopemade Village foundation is set on the nuances and complexities of being a woman [wife, mother] who has multiple sides to her! We are not robots, we are passionate women full of life and hope. đź’•
Also, I get it, you don’t always have time to reflect and prepare for what’s to come. We don’t know the future so we will never be fully prepared, either. If you haven’t taken time out to set intentions for the new year, that’s okay. You have 11 months to figure it out. Never would I suggest you go into this process with urgency and stress but with excitement and peace. Here are the journal prompts to guide you, if you’re ready.
Everyday God’s mercies are new. We will check back in around March to see how our words have affected us in quarter one of 2021.
With love,
Mama X
the Hopemade Woman 
I love the idea of a word of the year. I have never selected one but have been encouraged by reading posts from those who do. I have read your blog for quite some time, but it’s been a while since I have read any of your posts. Your growth has been a blessing to watch. Keep allowing God to finish the great work He has begun in you.
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I think having a word of the year is really fun and it helps me think about all the ways God can work in my life just through one avenue. I appreciate you stopping by and being an encourager! God bless you and your family 🙂
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