Choosing a Word to Guide Your Year

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When my husband and I first started dating, I spent New Year’s Eve with his family. Instead of setting goals for the new year, his mom asked us to pick a word for the year, and the Type A personality in me was hooked. Give me a mission, vision, or goal, and I am all in.

It’s been a tradition I’ve since adopted and look forward to every year. My sweet mother-in-law writes down what everyone in the family has chosen to be their word of the year, and I’ve loved looking back on previous years. One year I chose “purpose,” and most recently, “rooted.”

Picking a word for your year is like creating a roadmap for what you want to focus on in the next 365 days—a single word that becomes your guiding star. It’s so much simpler than making goals and then feeling defeated when you inevitably break them before we’ve even gotten to February. Instead, it’s a lens through which you can view different areas of your life and subtly shift your focus in that direction.

This year, my word is “health.” Last year I turned 35, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what health means to me as a wife and mother. The truth? I’ve never been the poster child for an active lifestyle. I’ll take lounging on the couch with a good book over a brisk walk any day, and to me, the word “adventure” brings to mind solving a 1,000-piece puzzle rather than hiking up a mountain.

And food? Let’s just say my love for snacking knows no bounds.

But here’s the thing: I want to be healthy for my family. Not just physically healthy, but mentally and emotionally, too. That means putting healthier boundaries around some of my habits, like how much alcohol and social media I’m consuming. It means carving out space for the things that nourish me—reading, connecting, and maybe even squeezing in a walk here and there.

It also means striving for healthier relationships. I’ve been working on speaking up (lovingly) when we’re in situations as a family that don’t align with how I want to raise my kids. I’m realizing that health isn’t just about the individual; it’s about the environment you create for the people you love.

So, this year, I’m not aiming for perfection. I’m not swearing off chocolate or signing up for triathlons. I’m just taking small, intentional steps toward being the healthiest version of myself—for me and for them.

What about you? If you were to pick a word for this year, what would it be? Write it down, tuck it away somewhere, and let it quietly shape the days ahead. You might be surprised by where it leads you.

P.S. please reply to this email and let me know if you pick a word of the year for 2025! I’d love to hear it.

🥔 We cooked these Barefoot Contessa mashed potatoes for Christmas dinner and they were incredible. I didn’t even use the mixer, just a hand masher, and they were so light and airy.

📖 I just finished this book and couldn’t put it down! It’s a thriller with plenty of twists and turns, but not too dark. Also, if you like to read, let’s be friends on goodreads!

🧴 I’ve been using the Prose shampoo, conditioner, and scalp mask for about a month now and I’m loving it! You take a quiz and they customize haircare specific to your needs.

🎉 I’ve attached a gift for you below as we head into the New Year. This template is the format that I like to use best when I’m dreaming and envisioning what I want the future to look like, and the goal is that you re-visit it every 3 months. This format provides enough of a framework to start chasing after your dreams, but the flexibility you need to adjust it each quarter.

Happy Friday, Friends! I wish you all a wonderful end to 2024, and a beautiful start to 2025!

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