My Word for 2015

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do and be this year.

I used to set lots of resolutions. But now I sort of save that for the beginning of the school year (here are my resolutions for school year 2014-15) and, following the lead of my sister Shawni (check out the one-word resolutions she's set here), I've started picking just one word that I'm going to make my key resolution and "mantra" for each new year.

After a lot of thought, I've decided that my word for 2015 is:

On Christmas day, I chatted with Eliza about the Zentangle art that she's excited about lately and admired what she was working on.I sat there and watched the snow fall and ate candy with Oliver then we made some origami animals together using the origami set he got in his stocking. I had Ashton show me all the cool features of the new phone Jared gave me. I watched Isaac fly his new helicopter around. It was just so darn nice. I wasn't trying to accomplish anything. I was just plain enjoying. And perhaps I accomplished more that day by NOT trying to accomplish anything than I do when I'm focused on accomplishments.

It shouldn't have to be Christmas to have more abundant enjoyment in my life.
I spend so much time and energy accomplishing and helping and doing and I'm realizing that that in the midst of all that, I often forget somethig that I've come to believe is an admonition in the Book of Mormon - "Men are that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25).

I think "enjoy" can be thought of as the verb form of joy and I know that I can make my life and the lives of everyone in my family better if I can learn to more often set aside accomplishing and cleaning and writing and following through on the many many ideas I always have to make room for actually enjoying life and making joy a bigger focus and blessing in my life.

So this year, I plan to make a concerted effort to do the opposite of what a lot of people are making resolutions about. I plan to be LESS disciplined about some things, LESS hard-working, LESS serious, LESS of a perfectionist, LESS careful about every penny I spend, LESS attached to particular goals and visions, and LESS accomplishment-oriented so that I can be MORE relaxed, MORE open to new ideas, MORE faithful and trusting, MORE present in my own life, MORE aware, MORE loving, and MORE fun. I plan to prioritize time to do more of the things that I really enjoy - reading, talking with friends and siblings and parents (crazy how little I talk to people I love these days!), really listening to what the kids have to say, playing games with the kids, laughing - the stuff that builds my relationships, relaxes my mind, and makes me a nicer person to be around.

So here's to enjoying 2015!

And here are some images and quotes that show different aspects of what I hope to embrace in 2015:

 

If you were to pick a one-word resolution for 2015, what would yours be????