Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone!
I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday and that you are all feeling recharged for the year to come. Chris and I had a fun New Years Eve- out to dinner with our friends Heather and Brian, and then back to the house to watch the ball drop. Chris had the pager again so we tried to keep things low key, but having that cute face to kiss at midnight when last year all I had was a Skype date was the best thing I could ask for :)
Now onto the topic of resolutions. A year or two ago, I read somewhere that making New Years resolutions was a bad idea, especially difficult ones. When we set specific goals and then fall short of them, we are much more apt to quit and feel frustrated. This doesn't mean that you can't have some of those goals on your radar- being healthier/more active, saving X number of dollars, taking a fun trip, etc. But maybe instead of listing them out and feeling overwhelmed by the deadline you have in which to accomplish said goals, you can just be working at them at your own pace and keeping them tucked quietly in your mind.
That being said, Gretchen Rubin, author of the Happiness Project, had a great blog post on the topic. http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2010/12/choose-a-theme-for-next-year-maybe-even-just-one-word.html Her idea is to choose a one word theme for next year which sort of encompasses all of your goals, wants and needs. I love this. So after much thought, here is my word:
Presence.
I want to be more present in the moment, in my life. I want to stop fast forwarding and giving myself timelines and deadlines. I want to totally throw myself into whatever it is I am doing and let that consume my thoughts. When I'm with the kids, I want to be listening and laughing and helping them grow. When I'm running, I want to focus on my breathing, what I'm hearing and what I'm seeing around me. When I'm studying, I want to be engaged and absorbing and understanding as much as I can. I want to relish the days not the years. This, for me, is going to be more challenging than resolving to lose 15 pounds, run a marathon, or grow an inch. So we'll see how it goes.
Should be at least a little easier this week as all I have going on is work (school starts next week). I'm trying to use this week as my detox for the semester- to get back to being active, cooking good food, reading and getting organized.
Anyway, I'd be interested to hear what your one word would be....
Lots of love!