Discovering Delight

Navigating through uncertainty

My painting for 2024

Another start to the year. Lately, January 1st always brings up a combination of optimistic energy (just think of all the possibilities for the year!) and too much pressure to have a defined goals with a 12-month workback schedule that, of course, leads into my perfect 5-year vision. So, to address that ambitious attitude, with my strong wintering desire to stay bundled up under weighted blankets, I gave up personal SMART goals. I really don’t care how many books I read last year. Instead, I pick a Word of the Year. It’s simple, easy, and with intention, I still see the growth in deeper ways that I’m seeking for the year.

If you missed it, you can read all about my thoughts why I focus on a Word of the Year, along with my process for how I pick one and our annual painting party over on my blog!

I’ll be honest, I struggled with picking a word this year. It did not come easy. I felt scattered, filled with too much possibility, not enough focus. This is not my normal M.O. Typically, I’ll go into every year with some sort of direction. I might fine tune the word to get the exact essence I’m looking for, but I know where I’m headed.

Unsurprisingly, my difficulty in grasping onto an anchor for this next year mirrors where I’m at mentally. Taking time off, moving to a new country, soaking in all the nourishment (my 2023 word) is amazing and exactly what we needed, but at some point we’ve got to snap back to reality. Time to start concretely building the next phase of our lives which is still filled with so much unknown. I don’t know what my husband will do for work (tech job market, sigh) and whether that will allow us to stay in Portugal. Don’t even get me started on what I’ll be doing for work - no clue.

One thing at a time. For now, that one thing is just picking a single word.

The Year of Delight

Thankfully, the accountability of our annual painting party is an excellent motivator to finally commit to my word: delight.

After almost a decade of picking a word for the year, this is the first one that’s felt light, frivolous, and uplifting. Typically, I cycle my annual intentions through ambition and rest. But a joyful intention like delight? Nope, not in my repertoire, which is why this deceptively simple word is exactly what I need.

As my family navigates uncertainty through this next evolution of our lives, I’ve realized how grounding a word like delight can be. I don’t have to fix the world or know exactly where I’m headed to find delight every single day.

Delight is my daily reminder to not forego living in order to build what’s next. For now, delight is coming to me in the small moments. Moments like finally using my beautiful fabric wrapped journal circa Tokyo, 2017 or drinking my favorite tea rather than letting it go stale in the cupboard. It looks like taking the long way home to pick up a pastry around the corner or drive along the Douro River on my daycare runs.

Maybe I’ll have more specific, delightful goals this year.

But for now, I ask myself “how can I discover more delight today?”

2024 Inspiration

Even from Europe, I made it to our painting party!

If you’re intrigued by this idea, it’s not too late to pick your intention for the year. Start anytime. To get you started, here are a few of my favorite words shared from this online community, friends, and family:

• Self

• Surrender

• Evolve

• Grace

• Femininity

• Believe

• Wonder

• Adventure

• Today

• Manifest

• Serenity

• Spaciousness

More word ideas over on my blog!

If you’re doing a word this year, share in the comments! I always love to hear other’s inspiration for the year, and I’ll only have a little bit of word jealously.

I hope you are all having a spacious start to the year, full of ease and joy. Cheers to another year, whatever it might bring.