Happy New Year!

We are all inundated with year end countdowns, best of lists, and articles about resolutions for the new year ahead. ​ This time of year always has me reflecting on my life, my relationships, and my work. What do I want to focus on? Where could I be more or do better? I implement a couple of strategies to help in making my resolutions stick a little better and stay with me. One is that I have a public resolution that is reflected in a single word. You may have heard about this from various hashtags on social media, #oneword2018, or associated with a couple of different books out there. In short, it is a movement to consolidate your long list of resolutions into one simple word and to look back throughout the year to this one word to remind you of your resolution.  

​I like to give myself a few days into the new year to try on my possible words and see which one resonates the most.  I am rolling a few over in my mind and I am thinking the word for 2018 will be GROW. I love this message from Neil Gaiman about mistakes. It reminds me to push myself, to try new things and make an impact on the world around me. It encourages me to push through fear, to learn through mistakes, and to embrace failure because through these experiences we can take away much more than quickly succeeding. These are also things that resonate with me as an artist. I have to be willing to try out new ideas and put myself out for others to see, to interpret, to analyze. I sometimes have to play with ideas, to experiment, to throw things against a wall and see what sticks. 

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​​Modeling this grit is also really important for me to do for my students. They need to see models of how others face fears, embrace new passions, develop their craft. I need to embrace my discomfort to empower others to do the same for their own development and growth. I need to put forth my own willingness to learn and grow. 

I like to also take my resolutions on a month-to-month basis. If at the end of January, my one word no longer suits me and the direction I want to go in 2018, I give myself permission to find a different word. Or perhaps if the word still applies, I will look at it through a different lens.  I plan on starting GROW with some focus on self and dedicating time to mindfulness in order to grow. I am going to end each day with at least 5 minutes to mindfully draw in my sketch book along with the Art of Mindfulness Drawing Challenge. Whenever I have set aside time to do this sort of unplanned drawing, I have definitely noticed a positive impact on how stressed I feel. Better yet, I try to incorporate it with my own kids right before bedtime, and I've noticed they really enjoy it and calm down for the evening.

How will you approach the new year?  Do you set resolutions to guide your path in the new year?  Is this a time you use to reflect? I'd love to hear more in the comments!

Happy New Year!
​~M