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Happy New Year, friends! I don’t know about you, but there is something so wonderful to me about this time of year. I love the feeling of a fresh start, the opportunity to reflect on a year gone by, and the time to set aside to really consider what your goals and intentions are for the year to come.
It’s refreshing and re-energizing to consider all the possibilities of new-ness of January 1. This is an especially exciting new year for our family as we continue to prepare for the arrival of our newest one in just a few short weeks.
One of the things I like to do at the start of each year is to choose one word that will be my focus word for the entire year. I first came across this idea from Lara Casey, the author of Cultivate & Make It Happen, as well as the widely popular Powersheets for intentional goal planning. The point is that you choose one word that will be your guiding word for the upcoming year. I think of it as the spring board for my goal planning for the year. It doesn’t take the place of a list of goals, but it is helpful to focus those goals and my work throughout the year.
So then, what is it?
My Word for 2018: SIMPLIFY
That’s it. Simplify. Google defines the word simplify as follows: “make [something] easier to do or understand. That’s it. Make things easier.
This word came to me last week as I was reading Brooke Sailer’s book, (I’m failiing at) This Thing Called Home. I actually received this book for Christmas and could not put it down once I started it. To say it has been inspiring to me would be a HUGE understatement. In it, Brooke makes the argument that home is something that we create and that homemaking is a learned skill rather than a talent. It is full to the brim with encouragement and practical tips to get your home in order and running in a way that allows those in it (including yourself) to thrive. I’m hoping to do a full post on some of the lessons I learned from the book, but if I’m honest, I still need sometime to go back through my underlines and notes and really process all of it. (Side note: If you are feeling at all overwhelmed or discouraged at home, I cannot recommend this book enough!)
I’m learning that while I do have a lot to juggle with being a wife, a mom, a friend and neighbor, and managing the blog, that I am able to create systems and processes in our home to reduce the chaos and increase the calm and I am committed to making that happen in 2018.
SIMPLIFY in 2018 – Applying it Practically
Our family is about to enter a season of transition, and I am working hard to create some systems in our home that will make that a little easier and give us something to work back towards after we come out of the fog of newborn life. As I said before, the word of the year should act as sort of the spring board for the rest of your goals and intentions for the year. My overarching goals for this year can be broken into two main areas – home & work (aka blogging).
Simplify our Home
The home is our place. It’s the place we live and make memories. It’s the place where we come to get refreshed and refueled for our work outside. As a stay-at-home mom, many aspects of maintaining and managing our home becomes my responsibility. It’s important to me that our home be a place of calm and not chaos. I want it to be a place where my Hubs and I can relax together after long days and where our children feel safe and loved. In 2018, I’m hoping to apply this in 3 ways:
Simplify our Things
I’ve written about decluttering here before, in fact, that post was the most popular post on Live Well Play Together in 2017. One of the points I mentioned was that decluttering your home is an ongoing process and not a one-time event. This is something that I’ve been practicing for a while, but I have recently begun to understand just how much all the things in our home cost us. As I’m going through our things and reorganizing for baby #2, I’ve stopped asking myself if something could be useful. I’ve stopped asking if something could be fun. Instead, I’m asking myself why I haven’t been using the thing in question.
Is the benefit of having it greater than the cost of storing it, organizing it, looking at it? If the answer is no, it’s just going out of our home. I can’t afford to keep moving things around that don’t bring life into our home.
Action Steps:
- Go through each room in the house and get rid of things that no longer serve a purpose in our home.
- Evaluate the organization of remaining items to make sure it is practical and useful in our daily life.
- Carefully consider any new thing that comes into our home.
Simplify our Routines
Another goal for 2018 is to simplify our routines. On a daily basis, this looks like taking the time to tidy up the kitchen after dinner and working with Little to put toys away before bed. On a weekly and monthly basis, this looks like having set aside days for things like laundry and cleaning the bathrooms and creating a meal plan that allows us to eat at home as often as we can. My goal is that by having a more predictable routine for this important jobs, we can better plan for them as a whole family unit, which will make my life easier.
I’m also hoping to get into a better morning routine for myself that includes some quiet time in prayer and planning for the day ahead. That said, this one will have to be laid down once we have the new baby while I focus on healing and resting my body as much as I can to best care for our children after delivery.
Action Steps:
- Write down how often we currently perform various chores in our home.
- Identify pain points and chores that cause me dread.
- Create a written schedule for each chore and be willing to be flexible as needed.
Simplify our Calendar
This means going through each of our commitments and evaluating if they are the best use of our time. Personally, it’s important for me to build time my calendar for rest, managing our home, and getting in some exercise. For our family, it’s important that we build in time for rest, one another, and serving others together. Finally, it’s important that we leave time to build and strengthen our relationships with others. Margin is important so that we can have the capacity to love others well. To do this, we need to intentionally embrace “no” when it comes to adding some things on our calendar.
Action Steps:
- Write down all current commitments – personal, family, & work.
- Determine how much time is spent on each commitment.
- Schedule down time for self & family.
Simplify My Work
I don’t think it’s a big secret that as much as I love blogging, it’s work. It takes a lot of effort to regularly create quality content and there is ALWAYS something new to learn. While the truth is, blogging is simply not my first priority, it is a priority. It has become a great creative outlet and a way to engage with others and share information that I hope is encouraging and helpful.
I love this journey of motherhood so much – all of it’s ups and downs and I love sharing it here. That said, one of my big goals for the 2018 is to create a simpler, more efficient process for blogging. My goal is to find a balance that allows me to better engage, create quality content, and grow the blog.
Action Steps:
- Create a schedule of work that allows me to have (somewhat predictable) time to focus on the blog.
- Create an updated editorial calendar to keep tasks focused and on schedule.
- Implement a system of batch working to increase productivity.
- Create and send a regular (bi-weekly or monthly) newsletter to readers to keep them up to date on things happening on the blog and in our lives. (Be sure to sign up for this newsletter in the subscribe box to keep up!)
- Identify activities with highest return and focus on those.
- Identify areas of improvement and create a plan for learning.
- Find an appropriate balance between personal posts and evergreen content.
I could write a whole series on blogging and blogging goals, but these are some of the big things I’m working on over here in the new year.
And that’s it. Simplify – my word for 2018. Do you have a word for 2018? How do you go about setting your goals and intentions for the new year? I would love to hear your thoughts.
![What’s on our Plate: Weekly Meal Plan [4]](https://www.livewellplaytogether.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Weekly-Meal-Plan-2.26.17.jpg)
Love it…that was my word for 2017, the best ever! Not only did I simplify many areas of my life my but husband jumped on board also. What is great is that it has become a habit and will stick with me. Now for my 2018 word of year “Healthy Choices, Healthy Life” I hope that will stick with me as simply as simplified did. LOL
That’s awesome that your husband was on board, too!! Wishing you all he best this year!
I love the idea of using a word for the year! Simplify is a great choice. We’re looking to simplify in a lot of ways, too!
Thank you! I’m hoping it will make a real difference in our home. It can be hard to keep things simple with little ones, but I’m hoping that it’s something we can continue to improve on!
That sounds like a wonderful book! I need to add it to my reading list!
what a great word for the year. it looks like you have a solid plan set in place so i’m sure you’ll have no trouble simplifying this year! my little mantra this year is to “be present.” we brought home our first little bundle of joy last may so i want to keep on being in the moment with her as often as possible – and that’s sometimes hard to do when you are a SAHM and working from home! good luck with your goals & congrats in advance on your new addition! (;
Simplify is not my word, but it is one of my intentions for 2018, and I started over Christmas break, throwing out some unused items and clearing away some books. What a refreshing project — and I want to do more!
It is really refreshing to get rid of things that you no longer use. It makes you more able to enjoy the things you do use!
I LOVE this word of the year! 🙂 I actually have a list of not-so-resolutions and they all surround this word.
These are all such great tips! I’ve seen a few others who picked “simplify” as their word also – I think it’s a reflection of our world right now. I really want to get rid of a lot of my and my kids’ clothes. It’s so overwhelming!
You are right, I do think it is a reflection of the world we live in. So much noise and clutter and stuff really can be overwhelming.
I’m so taking the de-cluttering point this year. I feel horrible when the house is a mess and I look around and see things we don’t use. You are right – time to give away. My hubby likes to add in rest time. I’m a bit manic! Good luck and thanks for sharing with #bloggersbest x
That’s a great word. I hope you can make it happen. I’m hoping to do that this year too, even after all the toys from Christmas.
I absolutely LOVE this, ML! You are such an encouragement and inspiration to me in how you’re so intentional with your home, family, and blog. So many of these goals mirror my own intentions for the new year too, in particular: “Identify the activities with the highest return and focus on those.” That’s such a good principle to apply to all areas of life! Thanks as always for the wisdom! 🙂
Thanks so much, Traci; I appreciate this so much. I actually think you do a really great job also of being intentional and I really appreciate that! I am really seeking to identify areas of highest return because our time is so limited – whether that’s on the blog or at home. For example, I know if I clean the kitchen before bed, that will make a HUGE difference in how my day starts the next day, whereas running the vacuum cleaner won’t have such a big impact if I only have time for one thing!
Glad to have you back in blog land! <3
For me, I need to simplify but slimming down stuff. I have so much clutter. Clothing my little one has grown out of. She is our only so I need to GIVE IT AWAY!!! Toys as well. Then to tackle the closet full of clothing hand onto because it is a tshirt from some event or some memory. Time to let it go!!! #bloggersbest
I feel like it’s everyday that I’m going through rooms and trying to simplify what we have going on. There’s nothing better than a clean slate! Especially when everything is organized to your liking. Great start to the new year!
I totally agree. I want to know what we have and make sure that I know WHY we’re keeping it. It really is so freeing to have things organized in a functional way – good for everyone and really helps the home run more smoothly!
It sounds like you have some great plans for this year….
Simplifying things sounds great.
Wishing you all the best for 2018 x #bloggersbest
I went through a big declutter over the holiday break myself, and it feels so freeing! I can definitely get behind “simplify” as a major theme for my 2018 as well. I also need to work on an editorial calendar as well – and stick to it! One of my goals is to make my posting much more regular than it is. Have a wonderful 2018!
“SIMPLIFY” right.. we should try to simplify our like that. This can help us to heal yourself. Thanks for sharing this idea. Happy new year have a great year ahead.
I love this concept! I need to desperately simplify my life this year.
-xo, Azanique | http://www.lotsofsass.com
Don’t we all? Especially with another little one on the way, I think it is essential for me and our family this year!
I just love Lara Casey. I am a huge fan of her Power Sheets! I also love to pray for my “word” each new year. Each year God places a word in my heart and I get so excited! 2017 was “Grow.” And, did I grow! 2018 is “strength” and I look forward to seeing many areas of my life strengthening personally and professionally. Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year!
I like grow and strength! It’s a great idea to pray for your word each year and continue throughout the year! Excited for you this year; wishing you all the best!
I couldn’t agree more as my word is this too! Im trying to simplify in many areas of my life.
SO many areas to simplify – and so many practical steps! One of the big things for me, I hope is to simplify online – unsubscribe from emails, spend less time on social media, clear out and organize email more frequently rather than letting it pile up, etc. It’s a big task, but we’ve got all year, right?
I’m feeling the same way. Simplifying our home is always a challenge.
I’m working on simplifying my life this year as well. I have a personal challenge to get rid of 100 things this month – I’m determined I can do it! I’m also working on making some serious life changes this year when it comes to my career. Best of luck to you with your 2018 goals!
100 things sounds like a lot, but if you are anything like us, I’m also sure you can do it. Things accumulate so quickly – especially when you stop and count all the tiny little things that share our space! And best wishes for the life and career changes! Those can be intimidating, but ultimately so rewarding!
I love it! This year we decided that we will simplify the holiday process for next year. Mainly, we’re telling family, if they’re too busy shopping on Thanksgiving day to make it to Thanksgiving lunch, there will not be a makeup day. We host every year and we’re tired of having to do attend a separate one just because people feel like shopping is more important.
Wow – that is a great one. I think it’s totally fair especially when you’re hosting to be able to say when things will be happening! That’s good to decide in advance, too so you can have the whole year to prep family for the changes!
Great post! My word was simplify last year. It really made a difference in how I view possessions, and time, and everything.
Oh, I’m glad to hear that! I’m hoping it will do the same for us as we go about this year! We’re expecting our littlest any day now, so this will also be a big transition year for us!
I started in on the “simplify” game over Christmas break, and hope to continue cleaning, sorting, and discarding into 2018! It feels so good!
Doesn’t it? We don’t realize how much “stuff” costs us until we start to simplify a d realize how much more free we feel!
I love the idea of picking a word of the year. I’m tempted to copy you and pick Simplify. I was nodding my head to pretty much everything you said about simplifying the home. I definitely need to work on purging the house and our routines could definitely use a refresh! Happy New Year!
I think you have a great word for the year and I like how it fits into the two main areas of your life. My word of 2018 is adventure which I want to explore in a variety of ways – adventure in the blog, in my life, in exercise, in how I eat, etc. Some are things I’m moving over from 2017 (to continue with…) and some are things I want to implement for the first time.
-Lauren
Oh adventure! That is a really fun word for the year; I look forward to seeing how you implement it into the different areas you mentioned!
I love the word “simplify”. I think being too busy is overrated and the simplification of life is needed to achieve balance.
I agree 100%! The hard part is learning and embracing the word “no” on our lives!
Simplify is a fantastic word of the year. I really need more simplicity in my life. My schedule, home, blogging tasks… everything is so overstuffed! Thanks for the inspiration :). Good luck!
It is so easy to let things get so jam packed – even having chosen “simplify” for my word, I catch myself overstuffing from time to time!
These sound like great goals for bringing simplicity and peacefulness to your home/life! Good luck and happy new year!
Thanks so much; I hope so!
I love your word! I considered it for myself but landed on “glory.” I pray the Lord is glorified through my life by living simply. Thank you for sharing your plan and steps.
Oh, that is a good one!! I like it a lot. I am with you 100%!
Great word. It’s one that I have adopted some years ago and it will benefit you for years to come! I don’t do a word of the year..I just set intentions to live my best life daily and to be of service. Here’s to a great 2018! Xo,Leslie SobeSavvy.com
That sounds awesome, too!! Wishing you all the best in 2018, Leslie!
That is such a great way to start the new year! We can always use a little more simplicity and a little less…stuff! I think for me my word would be presence. To just be more present in my daily life.
Oh, presence is a good word, too! I’m hoping that by simplifying some, I can also be more present. It’s nice how so many of these things overlap, huh? 😉
I love this! What a great word! I really had no intention of choosing a word of the year, but as my blogging friend Jessica @ Overwhelmed to Fulfilled and I were talking, I realized that God had really already chosen my word for last year and this year! Isn’t He amazing. Without realizing it, or really knowing anything about it, God’s word for me last year was “loved”. Based on what He spoke to me on my birthday last September, my word for this year will be “fearless”. I am nervous and excited to see where He leads me this year!
Thank so much for linking up at Live Life Well, this post has really blessed me. And congratulations on the little one!!
Blessings,
Amy
I just recently heard of this picking a word thing this year and I love it! I haven’t had time to pick one, but I like the idea of simplifying. We could all use less clutter in our life!
Isn’t that the truth?! We are constantly working on simplifying around here!
This is so well thought out! And I love your word choice of the year and how you’re practically planning out to work it out. As I recently moved, I had to go through all of my belongings and really think about what I used and what was worth keeping, and even now that I’m in my new place I can see how I’ll continually need to go through my belongings again to make sure they’re useful in the new space.
Thanks so much, Kate! I saw on your insta how many books you were donating – good for you! It can be really daunting to go through all your things, but moving is certainly a great catalyst to start the process! I’m excited to follow along on your new adventures!
Happy New Year! What a great focus for the year!
Happy New Year to you as well! Thank you so much; I’m hoping to stick with it!
“Simplify” is a great word of the year! I try to constantly keep in mind ways to simplify my life. Reducing clutter, scheduling things that are important to you, and having smaller actionable steps are all great ways to help achieve your goals. Happy New Year and best wishes in 2018!
Thanks, Liz! Yes – I picked simplify because there really are so many applicable steps for it in our life – our routines, home, schedules, time, so many things. It’s so important to be intentional about the things we’re doing and I think that simplifying will help clear our space and mental energy to really allow us to do that. I hope so at least!
I love this! Simplify is such a great word of the year. I’ve heard a lot about doing this and I’ve always been intrigued by it but I’ve never actually done it myself. I just don’t know how to go about choosing ONE word! But I love the way you chose a word and mapped out how exactly you were going to stick to it. I love it. It makes me want to do the same!
You should give it a try! One thing I think is helpful is to think if the things you want to do and accomplish, or stop doing in the new year then look for themes!
Love how practical this is! The book you mentioned sounds great! I def. want to check it out! I’ve had words for the year before, but I’ve always felt like God gave me a word to hang on to – I’ve never picked on – but I’m thinking that over a bit, too!!! Thanks for sharing! Some great food for thought here, Mary Leigh! Tweeted! 🙂
Thanks so much, Kate!!
Happy New Year!
Thank you so much!