For every year, I try to choose a word (or, occasionally, more than one word) that encompasses how I want to approach the twelve months. The word should apply to multiple spheres or layers of my life. I didn't think about a word for 2023 until just several days ago, but the word came to me quickly: Nourish.
Nourish applies most obviously to my body. I made tremendous changes to my body last year, losing 54 pounds and reaching my goal weight. I want to maintain my body and to take care of it. That includes eating mindfully, eating enough, indulging only occasionally, getting enough restful sleep, and moving healthfully. I don't have strict exercise plans, but I know I feel better physically and mentally when I practice yoga often. I'd also like to meet the daily step goals my watch sets for me, which is fairly easy if I keep up with errands and chores. I want to strengthen my muscles, particularly in my core.
But Nourish applies to just about everything else in my life. I want to nourish my mental health and my mind. That means keeping up with my medication and making any necessary adjustments, staying accountable, and staying in touch with my psychiatrist and therapist. It also means rebuilding the structure and rituals that brought me peace and happiness for the first two-thirds (or at least first half) of 2023. More on that in another post.
I'm not planning to have a NoBuy year, but I am applying my word to a LowBuy year. I want to nourish our finances, reestablishing a clear sense of our needs and capabilities, tackling debt, practicing realistic and sustainable spending, and bringing into our lives only new objects and experiences that will support the life we seek. Josh and I have agreed upon a monthly spending budget, but that plan will not be feasible for at least a couple of months as we need to save money for our anniversary trip in February. Exempt from the budget (where possible) are what we consider essentials to my Self: books that I can't get through the library or that I seriously want to own (example: Best American Poetry 2022, which I now have) and exceptional journals I find in store. We have a moratorium on that, too, for now. Otherwise, the budget must cover everything from clothes and shoes to jewelry and makeup to online journals, art supplies, and fountain pen ink or anything else that I may want. I would consider placing writing instruments outside the budget, but I have enough essentials right now to avoid any emergencies. Anything beyond all that can be a gift at an appropriate time. If essentials do come up, we will exempt them, but I have plenty of clothes and outerwear in my new size, and none of those or my shoes are likely to wear out this year. I'm all set. I'm going to keep a wish list and be content with its length.
I also want to nourish my key relationships. I need more support, and I have more support to offer, so I am establishing and reestablishing some friendships. They don't have to look like other friendships or follow specific guidelines; we can design our own. I've just made an online friend, Stephanie, as a LowBuy accountability partner, and we seem to be a great match. She independently chose Nourish as her word of the year--how crazy is that?! I am nourishing my relationships with my husband and son, and a lot of that requires maintenance that doesn't come naturally to me. Josh's love language is Acts of Service, and I'm a thoughtlessly messy person. Both Josh and Oliver need me to be gently patient and reassuring, and I am not naturally a patient person; I'm more tempestuous even at my best and most loving. So nourishing those relationships will mean continuing to work on paying careful attention to Oliver, taking care of basic needs that most children would handle independently by now, keeping up with the daily chores like dishes and laundry so that Josh can feel at peace, trying to rein in my natural clutter, softening my voice, taking Xanax when the world feels too slow, repeating myself without getting frustrated, and offering reassuring touch and words even when I don't see the necessity. Nourishing some of my relationships will mean letting go of expectations or wishes and finding other ways to meet my needs. I need to nourish a network, and I need to nourish what I can find within myself.
I'm sure further applications will come to mind. Nourish is my word, starting today.
