It feels so good to be back and to kick off a new year. I've enjoyed my 2 week vacation from work and blog-land (thanks to the post scheduler for keeping this place up and running while I ignored my computer.)
I routinely set New Year's resolutions which fall by the wayside by the end of the month, which is oh, so, depressing. But I love the concept I've seen all over your blogs lately of choosing one word for the year. It seems so full of possibility and gives even someone like me a chance of making it stick.
It won't surprise anyone to know that when I started thinking about my word for 2011 I first turned to music. I started listening and looking for inspiration in music and lucky me, I found just what I was looking for in Ray LaMontagne's "Be Here Now" - one listen and I knew that my word for 2011 was going to be: PRESENT.
For 2011 I will be PRESENT:
- I will enjoy the life I have each and every day.
- I will stop thinking/saying that when this or that happens/changes life will be better/perfect/right.
- I will be present and engaged when I am with my friends/family so that they know how much they mean to me, and to make sure I don't miss the really important things in life.
- I will be present and productive when at work, giving it my best to ensure my clients have the support they need.
- I will be present and focussed when I am having fun and not caught up in worrying about the things I "should" be doing instead.
- I will work to make certain that through my words and actions I am a present/gift for those around me.
- I will work to present my best self to the world, improving my health and strength while reducing my stress.
As I've thought about my intentions for 2011, I realized that if I want to be more present in life I may need to set some new priorities and make some commitments. My first commitment is to a 30 Days of Yoga program that starts today. I've always wanted to try yoga and I love the idea of committing to it for 30 solid days. I'm hoping this will kick off a long-term commitment that will leave me stronger, more focussed and with the satisfaction of comes from the discipline of daily practice. If you are an experience yoga practicer and have some tips I'd love to hear them!
My second decision is to change my regular 5 posts a week schedule to 3 posts a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday (and on Thursdays at i-Studio.) This was a hard decision, I loved my practice of posting each weekday, but I honestly believe that if I want to be more present in my life I need to free up some time to truly live. And who knows, it may just make for better posts on the days I do post (or at least that is what I'm hoping.)
I'm curious - are you picking a word this year? And if so, will you share it?
Or are you making resolutions? What are they?
But for everyone - what are you best tips for following through. I really am determined to make 2011 an incredible year and could use all the help I can get.
Let's kick the music part of this blog off with my inspiration song for the year:
Don't let your mind get weary and confused
Your will be still, don't try
Don't let your heart get heavy child
Inside you there's a strength that lies
Don't let your soul get lonely child
It's only time, it will go by
Don't look for love in faces, places
It's in you, that's where you'll find kindness
Be here now, here now
Be here now, here now
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30 comments:
Great word choice, and beautiful post (as always) Jamie!
Beautiful song and you are right to make sure to enjoy the here and now. I think you are right to prioritise and focus on the things you want to attain, the destination and then making the journey one that is enjoyable which adds to the experience. Look forward to hearing about it and I hope your wishes and dreams come true.
I love that word :)
Happy New Year, lady! So glad you enjoyed your vacation!
I've been contemplating new year resolutions, but nothing solid yet. I better hurry up, or the year will be up. Maybe I should resolve to be more decisive? ;)
Love, love, love Ray LaMontagne and that song puts me in an sentimental mood. Great choice for your word of the year. I, like you, decided to pick a word for 2011. I went with Cultivate. I want to grow as a wife, a mother and a human being. Hopefully, this word will help keep me moving towards these goals. I seriously need to blog about this...thanks for the reminder and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I am excited to see where these new goals take you. I bet you will have an amazing. Present is a perfect word and I know it's something I could work on myself.
Great word, and equally great commitments to accompany it. I love words that are open to interpretation and change as the year progresses. This one surely is.
I love your word choice and I think it's a great idea to move to 3 posts a week...I admire you!
Good for you, Jamie! Great word. I haven't really seen other blogs doing this but then again, I'm behind on my blog hopping. Nevertheless, I'm intrigued. Gonna marinate in thought about what my word might possibly be...
Wow, what an inspiring post Jamie! I love the idea of picking one word to sum up the year instead of resolutions. Although I need to do both since a LOT needs done/changed this year ;) I hope your year proves to be your best yet and kudos for choosing to do a yoga program for 30 days! I need to loose weight and that is a big resolution. I think that's been ONE of my resolutions for like the last 10 years of my life ..and summer would come, I'd loose like 15 lbs..winter hits and here it all is again :/ So I really wanna do something to help me stick to it. And yes, it was 65 here the LAST day of the year. It was really nice and we enjoyed every last second! :D
i do have a word that just came to me from our trip back from whistler. i will blog about it too, maybe tomorrow since i just literally got back and yes i checked blogs ryt away lol. my word is GROW. =) i love your word =) i so miss you during the holidays but im back! yay!
I am doing the 30 days of yoga too! I won it on susannah conways blog!, started beginners yesterday. Love your list and your word, can't keep to words and if I didn't keep to it I would feel a failure and then bleh.....
Wonderful word! Like many I've committed myself to Yoga practice this year as well. I used to be so good at applying myself and somehow I stopped... this year I need to get back into the rhythm. Perhaps my word will be rhythm.
Love your declared 'intention' and 'word'. Always accompanied by the best soundtracks. And - good for you for deciding what works and what doesn't. Three times/week..is plenty of good practice!
great word choice. it sounds like you really have a plan! i scaled back to posting every other day on my blog a couple months ago (and i don't even hit that mark sometimes). it felt better to take some of the pressure off.
and, great song! good luck with everything.
I think the word that I will shoot for this year is "better." Nice post sis. love ya.
a fantastic post...
your direction for the new year sounds perfect.
best wishes in 2011!!!
chas
That is a fabulous word. I didn't pick one last year, but that ended up being the theme of my year.
I chose balance for this year, I worked way too much last year and I need to add some other things in, I need to have less stress and more play.
But I plan to just let the word float over my head a year like a little balloon, no pressure, just a gentle reminder, I am hoping that in that way, it will take care of itself.
Hi Jamie. I very nearly chose PRESENT too, but changed my mind and chose SLOW because I need to try and slow my life down, enjoy the moment more and learn patience. So it includes PRESENT in some ways but also other things. I hope you enjoy the yoga. I did classes a while ago but my knees are very creaky (old sports injury) and while everyone was holding a pose in deathly silence my knees would start groaning VERY loudly :-)
Hi Jamie
that photo is fantastic. a bit of a take on Eye of Horus. very appealing. I need to flow and adapt to whatever life shoots my way, so this year no word as I'm trying to learn the practice of focus while flowing, if that makes any sense at all. I really like yours though. And setting intentions is everything, and will give you the most awesome power imaginable. Ray LaMontagne's music came to me during the darkest period of my life and has deep meaning for me. I think I may want his cd's that I don't have. He certainly does have a most dreamy voice, no? Gee, I've replayed twice now. thanks Jamie. Have a beautiful day!
oh, and Yoga? It's the only thing that keeps the arthritis at bay. do it. Happy New Year Jamie.
my word would be grace. love this post!
Great post...and great word (and, you COULD always subsitute it occasionally to mean 'gift'...as in 'birthday present' ;D) Kidding, of course!
Wonderful goals to have...best wishes for a beautiful, peaceful, and 'present' 2011 :)
A wonderful word choice! I'm going to be revealing mine on Thursday, on my blog. It's not easy to pick a single word, is it?
Jaime, I'm wondering if you have to commit yourself to a certain number of blogposts a week? To be more present perhaps you should do it "when you are feelin' it". Just a thought, I know it would take some of the joy out of it for me if I felt I had to do it a certain amount. I just fly by the seat of my pants, and yet I post pretty often, and I never feel any pressure. Just a thought, I hope you don't mind.
May all your goals bring you joy my friend!
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Hey Jamie-
You are so good to at least try a resolution. Present is a wonderful concept. I hope you enjoy the yoga. I've yet to get into that, tho everyone I know who is swears by it. Here's to a Happy 2011.
I LOVE your word for the year. That is a wonderful resolution. I have one single idea of what I want to accomplish in this new year but I can't seem to find the right word for it - somewhere between being more organized or more self disciplined do more with less time. Do what's most important and stop wasting time.
I hope you really enjoy your yoga practice. I did it most days for a while during the spring and went to a weekly class at the gym and LOVED it. It is awesome to see myself getting better and better just by gently practicing day after day.
I'm so glad you picked a word! It goes great with mine :)
great word, great resolutions! that's definitely something worth sticking with, and something that more people should do. and your pic at the top really caught my attention!! where was it taken? it's beautiful!!!
That's a great word, and one we should all keep in mind.
Happy New Year to you, Jamie :)
Fabulous word!!! 2011 is going to be a great year for you!!!
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