Is there a word that’s resonating with you as 2015 begins? I remember considering this last year, but was never really able to settle on anything. I watched others declare theirs, and wished I could join along, but just couldn’t find the inspiration. 2014 was a great year, don’t get me wrong, but there wasn’t necessarily a core theme.
This year, though, feels different already. I couldn’t have more clarity about my word for the year: simplicity. And, oh, am I so excited to see what this year brings.
Like any word, simplicity can mean different things to different people. For me, there are several ways I’d like to achieve simplicity this year, and probably others that will surprise me along the way.
Simplicity of purpose. This, for me, is the most significant. There are so many things each of us can do. But the trick is, we can’t do all of them. We have to choose. And that means having some filter to select the things that are going to be ours. For me, I’d like to do those things that I’m uniquely equipped to do. Those that align so closely with the core of who I am, that they flow naturally from me. Those that utilize the strengths that I’ve been given, that somehow they feel like the very things I have been put on this earth to do. And that means getting really clear about my core.
Simplicity at home. I’ve moved twice in the last year, and still have too many boxes underfoot. And I’ve already gotten rid of a lot of stuff. Bags and bags of donations taken to Goodwill, closets purged multiple times, with an increasingly higher bar. And yet. I still have too much stuff. It causes not only physical clutter, but mental and emotional clutter, too. And, I’m just craving less.
Simplicity of schedule. Purposeful mornings, accomplished workdays, restful evenings. Days that can have plenty of activity, but little of the hectic nature that can come so easily in our modern culture.
Simplicity of focus. Oh, there is so much noise these days. Minimizing this noise is important to me in its own right, but also in helping me achieve the other areas of simplicity. Remembering that I am in control of the messages I consume — from the people I follow on Instagram to the news stories I read. One of the most powerful things I did last year was cull who I follow on Instagram and Facebook. It was so simple, but made a huge impact. Suddenly, the bulk of the negative energy was gone, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted.
So, do you have a word for 2015? Let me know; I’d love to follow along with your journey, too!
Wishing you a great start to the new year!