My word for 2013 was Joy, or more specifically Choosing Joy. I focused on looking past the negatives and choosing to find joy in all I see, do and make. It wasn’t always easy, but the more I did it, the easier it became and I actually found that I started to do it automatically without thinking about it.
We have been truly blessed in 2013 with some fantastic family experiences, but there has also been some real challenges. I hope that I have dealt with them mostly with dignity and also learned from the experiences. I have certainly learned who my true friends are, but I have also learned that I need to let go and just make the most of everyday.
This year I want to concentrate on Nurture.
ˈnəːtʃə/verbverb: nurture; 3rd person present: nurtures; past tense: nurtured; past participle:nurtured; gerund or present participle: nurturing
synonyms: bring up, care for, provide for, take care of, attend to, look after, rear,support, raise, foster, parent, mother, tend; More
antonyms: neglect, hinder
synonyms: encouragement, promotion, fostering, development, cultivation,boosting, furtherance, advancement More
synonyms: upbringing, bringing up, care, fostering, tending, rearing, raising,training, education More
antonyms: nature, innate disposition, inherited characteristics
I need to nurture myself a little more and focus on finding answers to the ongoing health issues I suffer from and find ways that I can support my body and soul with my condition and be a little gentler on myself. But I also want to extend this to all the other areas of my life too.
I am going to continue to learn new skills and keep up my sewing lessons on a weekly basis and also the Saturday workshops now and then. I also want to work on my photography skills and have joined the Manual Overdrive course with Capturing Childhood. I have found that learning new things nourishes me and enables me to be a better person and give more to my family.
I am going to spend time supporting my children, tending to their changing needs as they grow up. I want to find ways to encourage them to be less reliant on electronics and to nurture their other talents. I want to make spending more time outside a priority and have fun as a family. I want to nurture their life skills. I want us to cook, bake, make and create together.
I am going to give more time to my marriage. I have loved having MadDad around during this festive season and realise that we need to spend some more time with just the two of us. We had lunch together on my birthday and it was a rare treat that we both loved and we decided that we are going to make more time for each other. Maybe not date nights (as it is hard to get people to look after the boys), but why not meet for lunch more often or watch a movie together. My marriage is important to me and worth spending time and energy on to nurture it.
I also want to nurture my career. More on this to come!
Finally, I am also going to nurture our Finance, but there is much more on this on A Thrifty Mum, where my word of the year financially is PRUDENCE.
So each quarter when I produce my seasonal manifesto’s I will use Nurture to help me focus on my tasks, hopes and plans and update on the previous quarterly goals and aims.
I find that my having a one word that sums up my goals and plans for the year it makes me much more focused and I use it as a visual reminder. I print it out to remind me of what I am looking to achieve.
Cass also told me that Ruth at Dorky Mum does a word of the year too and she is much more eloquent that I, so hop on over to read more about her word. I also completed Susannah Conway’s Unravelling the Year workbook after reading about it on her blog and it really helped me reflect on 2013 and put 2014 in to perspective.
That is a great word for 2014 and a great aim to have! I have been thinking about the new year and things I would like to change and I might borrow your idea for a word to represent it all! Great inspiration!
I think it’s a great word – motivating but gentle at the same time 🙂 Here is to a happy 2014 for you all x
A fab word and an important oneto practice xxx
Nurture is a fabulous word for 2014 Jen as is your attitude to it. I should take a leaf out of your book most definitely. Here’s to 2014 being a superb year 🙂
What a lovely way of looking forward! I’m thinking of doing another post like I did last year but this is very tempting as well. I like the way you’ve got it to give you focus.
It’s a brilliant word of the year. I think a lot of us forget about how important nurturing is and it falls by the wayside when things start to get busy. We then rush everything through in a functional manner and its just not quality anymore, whether it be family time, going out, doing something you’re meant to like. I wish you and yours all the best for 2014 x
Love your choice of word, it’s such a warm and enveloping word. Happy nurturing in 2014!
Joy and nurture are wonderful words to live by
That’s a brilliant word for 2014! Hope you have a great year x
What a great word. I hope you are feeling better soon and make the most of 2014. x
This looks like a great way to guide yourself through the year and I’m so pleased to read that you’re going to concentrate on nurturing yourself. Wishing you everything your heart desires in 2014 xx
I think to be fair, you’ve always been a very nurturing person with your family – you invest a huge amount of time in your family, in doing things together and enjoying experiences. You put me to shame!
You really DO need to nurture yourself, though – as do we all – but you particularly with ongoing health issues and past health issues to boot, I think 2014 should be about ensuring you’re happy and healthy and fulfilled just as much as the family 🙂
Have a great 2014 and thanks for being around in 2013.
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It’s a fabulous word to live life by. It really does encompass everything. I’m loving the one word idea!
Actually Mummy… » Me too. I have pinned it up on the wall and I love it
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