A Year of Grace
It’s a new year and a new decade with means it’s time for a new word of the year. In the interest of living simply, I’ve found that choosing a single word to focus on each year provides more value than making new year’s resolutions.
I’ve been choosing a word of the year since 2012 and have enjoyed living into the words I’ve chosen each year. As a new year nears, I spend time reflecting and contemplating where I want to focus my energy going forward. A few words often rise to the top, then I continue narrowing my focus to land on a word that feels best. If a list of resolutions doesn’t seem to work for you, I encourage you to experiment with choosing a word of the year instead.
For 2020, I’ve chosen the word grace. According to the Oxford dictionary, grace isdefined as:
As a noun: the simple elegance or refinement of movement… "she moved through the water with effortless grace;” and courteous goodwill. And as a verb: do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one’s presence. Synonyms include: ease, gracefulness, flow, fluency, smoothness, effortlessness, and nimbleness, to name a few.
I will live into this word by focusing on giving myself and others grace throughout the year.
If embracing a year of grace sounds inspiring to you, here are 12 ways you can live into it this year:
1. Let go – Whether you’re just starting out on your simplifying journey or you’ve been living simply for years, there is always more to let go of. From physical stuff, to beliefs, to habits, to relationships and activities, it’s likely something can go. Give yourself grace to let go of what doesn’t bring you joy and what steals your time and energy. Some ideas include, letting go of the need to be right, of following others’ agendas, of worry, of fear and of unhealthy food. Give yourself grace to just pick ONE and start there.
2. Slow down – At a conference in 2015, I distinctly remember sharing how it had been so easy to let go of nearly 75% of our belongings so we could move across the country and live near the ocean, yet it was so hard to slow down. I had found freedom from my physical belongings and let go of my job and I had freedom like I had never had before in my life. I wanted to DO ALL THE THINGS and I wanted to do them NOW. It wasn’t time for me to slow down, it was time for me to do everything I hadn’t had time for before.
But over the years since then, I’velearned how important it is to stop trying to do it all. If you’re anything like me, when you’retrying to do too much, you get cranky, anxious, and your health is impacted. If slowing down seems daunting, get clear onyour values then give yourself grace to say no to everything that doesn’t alignwith them. Say no and let go.
3. Forgive – yourself and others. It’s so much easier to be hard on ourselves and to judge others. But in this year of grace, choose forgiveness instead.
4. Offer random kindness – Whether it’s holding a door, paying for the next person in line or simply smiling at a stranger, offer small gestures to bring joy to others’ days. I know there have been times that a simple smile from a stranger has drastically changed the trajectory of my day so focus on doing the same for others.
5. Be gentle – On yourself and others. Your way isn’t the only way, or even the right way, it’s simply your way. Others’ ways are different and that’s okay. Give yourself grace to be gentle and to remember this truth – others can do things their way and that’s okay.
6. Remember that no one person is the center of the universe – We are ALL making an impact in the lives of others. Every. Single. Day. In small ways and in big ways. In ways we know, and in ways we don’t. There are seven million other people out there impacting others every day. If I set my ego aside, create space to be still and listen to my intuition, then love everyone and all things from there, that’s the best way for me to show up each day. I invite you to join me in doing the same.
7. Give yourself permission to stop doing things that drain your energy – this sort of falls under the “letting go” and “slowing down” categories, but it’s worth pulling it out separately to give it extra attention. By slowing down and making time to listen to your heart and intuition every day and before each major action and decision, then give yourself the gift of being able to avoid things that steal your time and drain your energy.
8. Be open to new connections – Give yourself grace to let go of any relationships that drain your energy, and create space for new ones that uplift, encourage and inspire you. EVERYTHING is temporary, even relationships. Some people are just in your life for a short time and that’s okay. Let go when it’s time and be open to welcoming new ones.
9. Be confident – If we each decided to confidently show up in all we do, owning our skills, talents, beliefs, and opinions, I believe the world would be a better place. Imagine sharing your beliefs kindly, during intelligent conversations rooted in curiosity and love. Imagine showing up and sharing your gifts effortlessly and with flow. There’s too much negativity, shame and judgment out there so I’m giving myself grace to acknowledge what’s not in my area of excellence and to show up humbly confident about what is. I invite you to join me in sharing your gifts and talents with the world in loving ways.
10. Let your children’s voices be heard – If you have a large family as I do, you know there is a constant flow of ideas, opinions, and goals. I learned a long time ago that I’m never going to make everyone happy. In our family, we often vote on decisions that impact the whole family and it’s RARE that we all agree. Whether it’s what to order on our pizza or where to go on vacation, we’ve all learned that compromise is necessary at times. So many life lessons can be learned from this (for all of us).
11. Trust God/the Universe/Spirit – Back to #1, it’s difficult to give up control. But when you give yourself grace to trust that all is conspiring for your good and that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, life is a lot less stressful. Along with this, it’s important to trust that you’ll have exactly what you need when you need it. It’s important to remember these key points as you simplify your life and let go. Give yourself grace and reflect on all of the things that have worked out better than you expected. Learn to let go when you feel like you’re grasping too hard.
12. Nurture your body and soul with intentionality and love – Spend more time in silence. Move your body every. single. day. There are ALWAYS at least a few moments to fit these things in your days. You don’t need to stress about finding the time and money to join a gym and you don’t need to create a complex meditation practice (unless you want to do these things!). Just seize the moments when you can, right where you are. I’ll be doing it and I know you can, too.
If grace is your word, as well, I hope these ideas help you live into it fully. If you’re choosing another word, I encourage you to give yourself grace as you live into that word throughout the year. Avoid putting pressure on yourself to choose a word that comes with lots of to-dos, ambitions and big projects. Keep it simple. Be still and just listen to your heart. What do you hear? What do you REALLY need? Let the word come to you, then embrace joyfully living into it this year.