Word of the Year: Embrace 2021
The beginning of each year may be an imagery date for a fresh start because let’s be honest -- nothing is really going to change much just because the year changes. What I do like about this time is that normally, Rye is home with us for a bit over the holidays and then he goes back to school. That acts as a natural start to kicking the year off with new intentions.
This month, he is still at home with us, and we aren’t really sure when he will go back (note: he was going back to his preschool during my cancer treatments and up until the COVID number started to spike here in the Bay Area in early-ish December).
This next year - 2021 - continues to hold a lot of uncertainty. That is a given. There is so much black space where our normal beginning of the year goals and New Year’s resolutions ought to be…
But, you know what?
When you think about it, every goal or resolution is actually set with a little bit of uncertainty about what the future is going to look like. Obviously, we are much more aware of that uncertainty right now, what with curveballs like new strains of COVID popping up across the globe.
But, whether you have kids at home or feel paralyzed by not being able to find a job, there are small things you can do to start working on your goals, regardless of the future being foggier than usual. This isn’t about jumping in headfirst and hustling (read: burning out). This year should be about taking slow, actionable steps to get you further than where you are right now.
Basically, set the bar low in 2021.
My Word of the Year for 2021
I didn’t set a word of the year in 2020. Looking back, that totally seems fitting since everything was ever-changing, both personally and on a larger scale. Looking back on a journal entry in late December 2019, I was floating the idea of SAVOR. I never followed up, however, with posting about it on social media or here on my own blog—so, blog post or it didn’t happen, or whatever the phrase is…
So, as I said, 2021 may be totally different, but I am ready to embrace the uncertainty.
Originally I was thinking of a couple of alternative words: heal and resilience. But the longer I spent with either word, the more I realized that neither were quite right. They both seemed to focus on the negative like 2021 was going to be all about overcoming obstacles. Neither word felt like it contained any nuance, and I want to do more than simply heal or overcome.
I want to embrace everything that life might throw at me (either with COVID cases increasing and Rye having to stay away from his preschool longer or with whatever happens next with my tumor—which I should know more about next steps in March).
That’s it! The word embrace is a great word of the year for me as we move into 2021.
Embrace defined: /əmˈbrās/ noun 1. an act of accepting or supporting something willingly or enthusiastically.
Here’s how I want to apply my new word of the year, “embrace,” in 2021:
Embracing the moment. (Yeah, it feels cheesy to write.) Rye will be home with us again, and I will be with him most of the time with Jeff helping each day (full disclosure: Rye went back to preschool with smaller classes back in June 2019 during my treatments, and he came back home full-time with us in mid-December once cases began to rise AND I had enough energy to take care of him).
Embracing my lighter workload. Right now I am focused on taking fewer gigs with higher checks. I am at the point in my career where I should be doing that anyway, but I want to be more intentional with this. This also includes embracing my various side businesses, like my Etsy shop and RECIPE FOR INSTAGRAM classes that make money even while I sleep.
Embracing the fact that I have to stretch for 20 minutes EVERY MORNING just to feel normal. My bones/muscles were apparently weakened by radiation, so I need to eat healthily and stretch (e.g., yoga) to have the energy to keep up with Rye.
Embracing whatever happens next when it comes to my cancer. I will know more sometime in March about whether the tumor is gone, and then I will talk about the next steps with my doctors. There are a few options, some much scarier than others—but whatever happens, my stage 4 anal cancer is not the end of me.
I will continue to embrace who I am and understand that my moods and desires are fluid. Right now, I want soft and soothing colors around me whereas I usually want bright, playful colors, so you will probably see more of the color sage in things like my new logo (at the top) as opposed to a bright teal. And that is okay; as long as there are some elements that are recognizable, the colors of my website can change!
Embracing that my goals will be smaller this year. I am not looking to lose weight. I am just looking to maintain and stay healthy. I am not looking to make six figures. I am just looking to help my family's finances. And IF I do extra credit for my goals, even better. I will also continue to use my favorite day planner and rock out every small task.
Embracing my failures. This is a big one because I am an Enneagram Type 3w2, which is a nice way of saying “overachiever” (learn more about my Enneagram and how to find yours). I have always put my “worth” into my work, and this past year has been so hard because I couldn’t work as much as I wanted. So, this year I am embracing whatever happens in my business.
… On that note, I am embracing some changes in my business and focusing on a pretty exciting project that doesn’t have to do with wine OR food! More details to come later this spring. :)
I want to hear from you: what is your “word of the year,” and what do you plan on embracing this year?
