A mini reflection of 2013

I’ve never been the type to set New Year’s goals or resolutions.

If I make up my mind to try or change something, I usually give it a go regardless of the time of year.

2013 was a little different. I had given myself 2 words to focus on: movement and relationships. {If you’ve been reading my e-letters for at least a year, you may recall that I mentioned these in January.}

I had chosen these words intuitively.

Here’s a mini reflection on each of my two words for 2013.

Movement

I had set a guiding goal of 3 yoga classes a week {at home or a studio} and a 45-minute walk on weekdays.

On average, I did yoga in a studio twice a week and 45-minute walks 3 times per week {I went for shorter walks on other days}.

Overall, though, because I had chosen ‘movement’ as one of my central themes for 2013, I became more conscious of how much I was moving in general ~ or, to be specific, how much I was sitting.

This is where I succeeded my yoga and walking goals.

What this meant was that I became very conscious of times when I’d be sitting for 2­–3 hours straight, especially while writing and finalising my first book.

When I’d catch myself, I would get up to stretch, make myself some herbal tea, do some quick housework, prep dinner or go for a mini walk with my dogs.

Cooking, testing and styling the recipes for the ebook helped too, and so did working in the city one day a week {where I would stand at a high bench top and type; it was the perfect height}.

Just choosing the word movement was like having an imaginary pedometer embedded in my brain, inspiring me to move.

Relationships

I didn’t really have any guiding goals for this word. I just knew I wanted deeper, more connected relationships with the core people in my life, and meet more people who were positive and supportive in general.

I don’t know how to measure this, but I know in my gut and heart that my relationship with my husband is stronger and more loving. What helped, for sure, is that I’ve been more forthcoming in telling him how grateful I am for what he brings into our relationship and our lives.

I’ve also been nagging hubby less by accepting his traits and behaviours that are, shall I say, not my favourite or differ to how I approach things. By doing this, I was accepting ALL of him.

It’s not to say that I didn’t nag at all {or won’t in the future ~ sorry hubby!}, but I became more conscious of the ‘automatic’ nagging that would slip my mouth, and because of that I ended up nagging less. I realised in the big scheme of life, the little things I nagged about were not worth it {in comparison to having a loving relationship with my husband}.

I also made a conscious effort to connect more with my sister and her two gorgeous boys {my nephews}, by calling and seeing her more often. I also offered my babysitting services, which she hasn’t taken full advantage of yet! {Get onto that one, won’t ya, sis?}

The last thing I want to say about relationships is that I became more aware of the relationship I have with myself, by understanding more of how I naturally ‘operate’ in the world.

I had done a little inner work on myself later this year, working with mindfulness coach, Kate James, and reading a few books, including Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking, which helped me to understand {and accept} myself more. It made me realise why I related to people the way I do, why I ‘operate’ the way I do, and why I’m not a ‘ra ra’ or bubbly outgoing person ~ and that it’s ok not to be one either. It also helped me understand with whom I’m more likely to make friends with, too.

I found that having two words in areas that I wanted to improve on really helped me ~ because it wasn’t complicated. But I needed more ways to remind myself of the words and to hold myself accountable {although talking with hubby and friends helped}.

For 2014, I’m trialling something different. Something more outlined {but not rigid}, and I’m putting myself out there to hold myself accountable. To be honest, I’m a bit nervous ~ but also excited. More about that in 2014.

Over to you:

• Have you ever tried using the two words concept {or core values} before?
• What will your words be for 2014? And, for bonus points, think about why you’ve chosen these words ~ are they a true {authentic} fit for you?

Feel free to share in the comments below.

Wishing you a happy and soul-nourishing 2014.