Word of the year. I love creating a word of the year! I even have a note on my phone with my last few choices.
2022 - Integrate
2021 - Focus
2020 - Abide
2019 - Freedom
2018 - Discipline
What’s my word of the year for 2023? EXPAND
Why expand? Last year was my year of saying no. This year I want to say yes to the things that matter most! I’ve cleared empty space, I’ve let go of things not working, and I’ve gotten clear on my priorities. Now is the fun part - expanding my mind, thoughts, capacity, and capabilities.
Although I love having a word of the year, I’m not sure if I’m great at using the word. This year I decided to try something different. I want to use the word in my daily life.
I wanted to pick a word of the year AND make a plan to intentionally use the word.
So…How am I bringing more expansion to my life this year? I’m focusing on expanding a few areas of my life.
Generosity
Expanding my giving
I doubled my monthly giving budget. For me this is referring to gifts to people I know. I am a firm believer in starting with the people closest to you when it comes to giving. There may be donations to organizations outside of this, but I account for that differently. A lot of this will be spent on birthday celebrations, but some will be spent for other celebratory events.
Volunteering has always been a part of my life but I tend to go from over-committing myself and burning out to not doing anything at all. This year I want to add a local volunteer commitment on a consistent basis. For me this will likely look like a quarterly opportunity (on top of the other volunteer commitments I already have). This feels like the perfect balance of increasing the time I’m giving to causes important to my community while also being realistic about my time/energy availability.
Relationships
Expanding time spent with people I love
Making time for people who matter most has been a focus area of mine the last few years. This year I wanted to be more intentional than ever. I purchased a desk calendar and made a list of people I want to see/call each month. Then I added their names to specific dates. This way there are no excuses - the dates are planned around my personal and work events/to-do list. Adding it to the calendar makes it easier for me to remember! Prepping ahead of time on days where I will have time and energy increases the likelihood of me making the visit/call. I don’t want people in my life to get the scraps of my time or energy - I want them to get the best of me!
Rest/Wellness
Expanding my capacity for rest, stillness and presence
My favorite (and most challenging) topic. This is an on-going learning curve for me. Last year I put a huge focus on my physical health and I plan to continue that this year. This is an area where I am laser focused on keeping my commitments. I am committed to at least 15 minutes of movement/day this year. Monday - Friday I aim for 30 minutes but that’s bonus points. Anything over 15 minutes counts as meeting the goal that day! I’m also tracking my water intake (aiming for at least 8 glasses of water/day). My body deserves the same love and care I try to give others and my work. Not letting myself down is a commitment for 2023.
For me, rest can look active or passive. Traveling with people I love can be extremely rejuvenating in a way Netflix isn’t. Don’t get me wrong - I love a good Netflix binge session, but it isn’t always restful for me. I’ve planned trips with multiple people I love and have added the money needed in my budget so there are no excuses for making it happen. I may add more trips later on, but the basics are already covered. This also could fall under the “expanding time spent with people I love” category. I love ideas that serve multiple purposes!
I consider my faith a part of my overall well-being. I haven’t been able to find a church I love in a few years so I plan to find one this year. Each week I plan to watch a church service online or attend one in person.
Career/Professional Development
Expanding my comfort zone
Starting my podcast in 2022 was a HUGE moment for me. It was so hard to get comfortable putting myself out there, but the process has been a JOY! This year I plan to try new things on the podcast. There will be new guests, possible solo episodes, and maybe even an in-person event. Some of the topics I want to cover aren’t directly career related, but they are career-adjacent. This makes me nervous. Can I talk about other topics? Do people want to hear that? The only thing I can do is try and see what works! Why limit myself or the podcast because something doesn’t fit perfectly into the career topic? This year I want to expand my mental limits of what is possible for the podcast.
I want to get more comfortable sharing my wins. Last year I was interviewed for a Forbes article and never shared it with many people. I plan to share it this year! It was such a fun experience and the content I shared could be helpful for someone looking for more purpose in their career. I’ve always struggled with shrinking myself and my accomplishments, so this year I am committed to expanding to the fullest version of myself. Playing small serves no one!
Soon I’ll share my process for making time for the things that matter most. How do I make sure these things actually happen? I am trying some new tools and look forward to sharing them with you!
What is your word of the year? How is it showing up in your life this year?
Here’s my monthly progress updates for how my plan is going:
January 2023
HAPPY 2023,
Rachel