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My Word for the Year – and a $475 Paypal Cash Giveaway

Did you make any resolutions this year? Or do you have a word for the year?

I have always had a pretty typical approach to New Years resolutions… you know, start out so strong that wild horses couldn’t drag me down only to almost immediately rapidly enter a downward spiral and return once again to my old habits before you can say January 15th three times quickly.

But this never seems to stop me from having a ridiculous number of some goals and plans for the start of each year.

And I love how each new year feels like a fresh start.

So this year I thought I would try the “word” approach – and I have chosen the word FOCUS as my focus for the year (no pun intended:).

I need to FOCUS more on what is most important in each moment and BE IN THE MOMENT. Be more present every day instead of living so much in my head.

See, I live in my head A LOT… always thinking, imagining, planning, dreaming… and that sometimes means I am not really ‘there’ when people are talking to me. Seriously annoying, I know. It is a habit I really want to change this year. To be more present. To live more in the here and now.

I know it will be hard. My head is an incredibly comfy place to be – it is furnished with lovely cushy white slipcovered sofas, has a kitchen stocked with all the tea one could drink, and has design magazines and catalogues piled high to the ceiling.

It is going to take some tough work to stay out of there…

In addition to being PRESENT – there is another part to the word FOCUS for me.

I need to focus on one thing at a time. 

I catch myself running around many days like a chicken with my head cut off, bouncing from job to project to task and back again.

I need to STOP.

FOCUS.

BE PRESENT.

And maybe try doing one thing at a time. Until that one thing is done.

Like start a room project. And finish it. Before moving onto changing something in another room.

Hmmmm.

This part of FOCUS may be more of a challenge for me to tackle.

We have several BIG projects on our house planned for this upcoming year- some of which involve finishing ones that we didn’t get to last year. But I will share more about that another day.

Because now I’m going to change my FOCUS.

It is GIVEAWAY time!

How does some cold, hard cash sound this month? Pretty good, right?

Well, just follow the instruction in the rafflecopter to enter!

Giveaway

Brought to you by this awesome group of bloggers…

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Giveaway Primary Sponsors:
Create and Babble * The Everyday Home * Restoration Redoux * It All Started with Paint * Inspiration for Moms * The Happy Housie * Uncommon Designs * That’s What Che Said * The Happier Homemaker * Cupcakes and Crinoline * Knick of Time * Sondra Lyn at Home * Copper Roof * Happiness is Homemade

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!!

And tell me – did you choose a WORD for the year? Any resolutions?? Big Plans or Goals??

I would love to hear about it.

Thanks for reading. And remember my housie friends, HOME isn’t built in a day. Enjoy the journey.

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21 Comments

    1. Hi JV- Shanna from Just Us Four was in charge of contacting the winner – the last she emailed me was that she had to confirm with the winner then announce it.

  1. Oh Krista! You speak my words!! I am incredibly unfocused and annoyed with myself too! Just told my hubby today that I can not believe that my brain never stops and I can not stop for a brief moment! I seriously need to sit myself down and rest just for a bit….for my senity. I am currently working on a zillion projects, bookkeeping for our business between 8-12 every day, running a photography business,playing a good mom and wife and at the end of the day I feel like I want to die.I cant do it all!!I hope 2014 is tge year of CHANGE!God bless us!hugs to you, friend!!

    1. Hi Aniko- it is super hard being pulled in so many directions! I totally hear your plight. I hope that I can get myself organized enough and focused enough this year that even though I have lots to do I can tackle it as it comes and not always be thinking ahead and planning/worrying about things that I don’t need to think about yet. Does that make sense? I am always ten steps ahead of myself in my mind and I need to just focus on what is right in front of me…and let the rest of it unfold and deal with it when it is time. Good luck with your focus and energy this year – I have a feeling that we both push ourselves a little too much and need to cut ourselves some slack!

    1. That is a fabulous word and focus Tricia. I think mine sort of links to that because I really want to be more present so that when we all are together (which happens quite a bit with the ages that my boys are) I will be focused and present and tuned into them instead of worrying about things down the road that I don’t need to think about yet!! But I would love to do more ‘fun’ family things too – that is what is really most important at the end of the day.

  2. clean – can it just be clean? i just want it clean…..that’s all. Simple right? Think I better adopt all of these words…Clean, Simple, FOCUS or it will never happen……21 yr old in basic training, 13 yr old (being a normal teenager), 5 yr old (little diva) and 3 yr old (on her way to diva) -All girls- and with husband working nights and not contributing to even the discipline side. Yes just want clean this year.

    1. I think clean is a great focus- maybe the kids can help? I am working on that angle with my boys. Not saying it is all that successful and certainly not easy but I want them to start to contribute and clean up after themselves more (they are 3 and 6)… I spend sooooo much of my day just picking up and putting away that I would love to have someone else share some of that responsibility! I totally get it:)

  3. Simple. Simple. Simple. I want to simplify some things in my home. For instance, my tupperware cabinet. I have all different kinds, sizes, and shapes. I want to find some tupperware that I love…in just a few different sizes…maybe glass tupperware…and get rid of my comglomeration of piles. Then I would have three nice stacks of glass tupperware, and I wouldn’t be constantly sorting and stacking to keep my cabinets looking pretty. Does that make any sense at all.

    So glad I found your blog!
    -Kate

    1. Simple is a great plan. I LOVE that idea for Tupperware. I really think I might have to copy it. The same could go for everything in the kitchen. How many junky mugs and cups do you need, for example? I tried that approach when we last moved houses with our towels and got rid of most old, thrashed ones and bought only the necessary number of new ones. It helped me to majorly downsize my linen closet. Good luck with the simplicity this year!! I think we all live lives that are too complex with too much STUFF now and it really contributes to stress.

  4. Hi Krista: If possible, can you make your font a bit larger or use a more avoid-eye-strain-friendly font? Thanks.

    1. Hi Beverley! I totally agree- I can’t stand the font that my wordpress theme comes with. I will try to use the next size up from now on and I am actually planning a redesign of the blog soon that will use a new theme with more reader-friendly font. Sorry for the eye-strain!!

  5. Just yesterday I was thinking to myself I should start a diary with goals for each week, to FOCUS the mind to tasks at hand… I am a master at procrastination and day dreaming…lol. Love your word for 2014!! I will adopt it as well!

    1. I love that idea of goals for the week. I started a daily planner/journal that I think will help (I only started it up again yesterday so hopefully I can stick with doing it). I figure if I can outline important tasks each day and just worry about THOSE tasks I can get a lot more accomplished instead of spinning my wheels not sure which of my zillion projects to do next!! I am definitely not there yet:) I have a feeling it is going to be quite the process of change!!

  6. Love that you ended your blog entry with “Enjoy the journey” My word for 2014 is JOURNEY and I want to enjoy every moment of it. OK, so I won’t enjoy the bad stuff but it’s all part of the journey that makes us us.

    1. Hi Sandy! I like to end my blog posts with that because it helps to remind me that creating our home is a journey- it never is really ‘finished’ (or at least it isn’t for me since I like to change things…) and not to feel like it all needs to be done ‘now’ – it is part of the process that is life. I love the word choice of journey – I am guessing that it means you are working on thinking of your life as a process and enjoying being in the moment and ‘journeying’ through it – as you change and grow and develop along the way? Ya, great word!! Thanks for your comments and visit:)

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