I was introduced to the Word of the year by Cathy from Nurturestore far to long ago to even remember! It is something that comes from the amazing Susannah Conway. Last year my word grabbed me immediately and it was such a fitting word, it was “Nurture”. I needed to learn how to nurture. To support my family, to cultivate relationships and to grow this website and my business.
2015 was a nurturing year. There was not one outstanding part of it, but as a whole it was a brilliant year of consolidation, growth and learning for all of us here in The Mad House. Each day I am growing and my children are teaching me to be the mother that they need. I feed their bodies and souls and cherish every moment with them. I have nurtured their love of sports and technology, but also tried to develop a creative side to them that might not always be apparent.
TSB have asked me if I have any resolutions for 2016, so that brings be my word for 2016. I am currently craving balance. Not just the traditional home/work one that people talk about, but also a balance in what I know I can achieve and what I need to achieve for the sake of my family. I have had to learn to say no during 2015, no to exciting trips, no to possible collaborations and no more work as my family have needed me to be present in their lives. My word for 2016 will be Intentional.
I am going to strive to live a more considered life. I want to make advised decisions that benefit my little tribe as a whole. I will consider both them and me and know that this is what is intended of me this year. I will not be disappointed due to lost opportunities, but concentrate on knowing this is where I am supposed to be.
That doesn’t mean I am stepping back or putting in less effort, no way, what it means is I am going to be more organised, more calculated with the decisions I make and rather than jumping in I am going to look a little further in to the future and make sure that my decisions are purposeful.
I want to be intentional when it comes to our finances. In 2015 we saved up for a new dining table and chairs, but that money had to be spent on new sofa’s instead, but I was delighted that we had the money set aside. This means that the dining table and chairs will have to wait a little longer until we save up enough money for them again (I don’t do credit anymore, unless it is an emergency). I want to make sure that our spending is considered and advised, that we do not spend on things that we don’t need. I find that planning what we are spending and saving means that we spend less and spend what we do have wisley. By meal planning I save money as we have less food waste and eat better. By comparing costs for household expenditure it ensures that we get the best price on our utilities and insurances. Yes, I have to know when they are due for renewal and it might take a little investment of time on my part, but the savings can be huge. So I want to be conscious of what we are spending and what we are saving. I will make advised purchases. I will look online at reviews and ensure that I get the best value.
A big part of the need to live more intentionally is ensuring that Mini feels secure in his environment. 2015 has not been an easy year for my youngest child. His emotions have always lived close to the surface, the good ones and the bad ones and he has struggled with controlling some of the more challenging behaviour that this can create. As a Mum it is heartbreaking to see your child struggle and we had to make the really hard decision to seek external help and a formal diagnosis of Autism.
2016 hopefully will bring more support after the assessment process and we can all get the help we need. I have always said that I didn’t want a label for Mini and in many ways we have always known that he was somewhere on the autistic spectrum. He is very high functioning, which is heartbreaking as we think that this year has been so challenging for him as he has realised that he isnt the same as everyone else and at the same time as this realisation he found out that some people he thought were friends weren’t and were exploiting his caring nature. How hard it is to watch your child try to make and fail to make connections. The tears are rolling down my face as I type this. But we taught our dear boy how to read and ride a bike. If we can do that, then we can teach him coping mechanisms, but first I need to learn them!
So I am going to willfully ensure that I advocate for all the help that we need as a family. And I feel that the only way I can balance all these things is to do it with Intention. 2016 will also see Maxi going to Senior School. We will not find out until March if we have got his first choice school. We are hoping he does as it means he will be in the same year and school as his cousin, Master Frugal and his best friend will be in the year above. He is desperate to already be at Senior school and is looking forward to September with an exciting vigour of someone who is in love with learning. At the same time I need to transition Mini to being in his last year of primary school and Maxi not being with him. School refusal is something we deal with on a daily basis and I will not let this spoil his last year.
So to start the year off on a good foot, I have made a poster with my word and also words associated with it and it has pride of place in my notice board. I have also started meditating each morning, so that I can focus on the rest of the day and clear my mind.
Do you have a word for 2016 or do you have any new year’s resolutions? I would love to know what they are, so do come and share them in the comments. The TSB have some great tips for keeping on top of money resolutions in 2016. There are some amazing one-word quotes and two-word ones.
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