2025

One word...and a few more.

2019 - BOLD

2020 - SURRENDER

2021 - ANNOINTED

2022 - IDENTITY

2023 - DISCIPLINE

One year. One word.

I started this practice six years ago and it has since been my main method of vision setting each calendar year.

I don’t mind goals and resolutions. I still spend time each December/January reflecting on accomplishments from the previous year and brainstorming what I’d like to DO in the upcoming year. However, I’ve found it even more impactful to commit to an intention related to WHO I am and HOW I’d like to show up.

Grace & Guardrails

Having a single word to come back to provides a grounding reminder throughout the year, which helps keep me centered on what feels most important for the year.

For me, this creates grace and guardrails instead of fear and failure.

While resolutions usually denote change, intentions are about focus. The one word concentrates my attention, while leaving room for the flexibility life requires. While goals usually include explicit targets, intentions are about direction. The one word guides my actions without dictating specific “success”.

The one word is small enough to simplify decisions and big enough to allow space for growth, exploration & pivots. It acts as a guardrail to keep me on track, while giving me grace to make mistakes, learn and apply it to different situations that comes my way.

I find the metrics of goals helpful and enjoy measuring progress towards certain benchmarks, but I love the freedom from rigidity and shame that accompanies intention setting.

A Posture of Paying Attention

A few people have asked how I choose my word. The answer? Discernment.

Discernment is a posture of paying attention. - Emily P. Freeman

I heard this definition during a podcast recently and felt it resonate more than “discern”s traditional definition of recognizing, distinguishing and identifying. I was familiar with Emily P. Freeman’s work from reading her book The Next Right Thing several years ago (highly recommend) and have been inspired by her insights many times. As a spiritual director and “soul minimalist”, she writes and speaks beautifully and wisely on decision-making.

Posturing your attention means de-cluttering your mind and getting curious:

• What’s been working and what’s been missing?

• What gives you energy and what drains you?

• When & where have felt God’s presence?

It’s a practice of looking & listening. And when I’ve focused my observations in this direction, what’s needed becomes clear.

Last Year & This Year

My word(s) for 2024 was MAKE ROOM.

After focusing so much of my attention on work, my relationship and moving, I had gotten away from some of the things that made me who I am. I knew I needed to be more intentional with how I was spending my time. I heard this song in December 2023 and decided I would make room to get back to myself, my community & my faith.

I actually did pretty well for while! I shifted around my schedule, set some boundaries (+ a few goals) and created space on my calendar. Then I realized a funny thing about making room - my tendency is to fill it haha. I was so excited at first, grateful for the new time I had to do things. But that’s the thing…even though I had created space, I wasn’t keeping space. The activities I added were good (friends, family, reading, movies, exploring my new cities, learning new things, etc), but there was definitely an element of avoidance in them. I was happy to do, but hesitant to be.

I want to lean into that resistance. And, so…

My word for 2025 is STILLNESS.

I think it’s quite common to find some level of difficulty in simply sitting with ourselves. In a world that continues to get louder & faster, silence & solitude are becoming a rarity. Our environment is built for us to consume, not just material things, but information. Full schedules are normalized and productivity is idolized. It is easier to move straight into the next activity, the next career step, the next expected life milestone, than to stop, rest and reflect.

In contemplating which word to pick this year, a few theological concepts came to mind from my recent studies. These two things honestly deserve a whole separate newsletter dedicated to them, but I’ll give them a quick shout out since they are inherently connected to stillness & the root of why I think it’s important.

Shabbat - the Jewish day of rest is the tradition of setting aside time weekly to reconnect with self, others & God. Although “sabbath” is also practiced in Christianity, it is much more common (and sacred) in Judaism.

Shalom - this holy Hebrew word means more than peace. It is a greeting, a blessing and a state of being that encompasses wholeness, reconciliation, harmony, flourishing, completeness, tranquility, fulfillment, wellbeing & delight.

I’ve been feeling the pull of shabbat and shalom and am looking forward to prioritizing in my life.

• I’m choosing depth over growth - diving in instead of dabbling around.

• I’m choosing peace over productivity - consistently including rest in my rhythm.

• I’m choosing being over doing - getting more comfortable with me, myself & I.

What’s your word for 2025? Have you set any intentions for the year to come? Whether a word or intention, resolution or goal, I’d love to hear where you’re directing your attention :)

Live different. Lead different.

Sincerely,

Clare