NURTURE: ONE LITTLE WORD 2017

My One Little Word for 2017 is NURTURE.  

This is my fifth year doing the One Little Word project and my fourth year following along with Ali Edwards' workshop of the same name.  My previous words (in order): tomorrow, build, voice and simplify.  

There is still a bit more than a week to go before we hit January 1, but this word is already finding its way deep into my heart and head.

In a lot of ways it is a continuation of what I worked on this year - simplifying until I was left with only the good and the necessary.  I want to hold onto that good stuff and NURTURE it.  I am standing here on a firm foundation.  Now, I want to do what I can to encourage it to grow.  I don't want more.  I want stronger, deeper and richer.  I want to really lean into the good and make it my focus.  

I want to NURTURE my marriage, my kids, our little family and myself.  

I want to NURTURE the important relationships in my life.  This, of course, includes Brian and the kids, but also my sister and sisters-in-law, parents, parents-in-law and a few  close friends.  

I want to NURTURE my relationship with God. 

I want to NURTURE the idea of "life, simplified" as I came to know it in 2016.

I want to NURTURE our house and the idea of home.  

And, I have plans related to all of this.  Plans that are still in the making and that will likely change a thousand times between now and December 2017, but that are also written down and doable.

I'm not going to share each of my action plans.  But to give you an idea of what they generally look like, I am posting my list as it currently stands related to nurturing the kids:

I will:

pray for them on a regular basis, use the calendar and plan with Brian for devoted one-on-one time with each of them, work to be more present during floor time, get back to seasonal "to do lists" to encourage fun and make sure that we don't miss out on opportunities for family activities, read, read, read (good books!), demonstrate and teach our family values and beliefs.

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Everything I've written so far about my word is pretty heavily tied to 2016.  And I don't think that's a bad thing.  I think it means that I made real life-worthy progress in 2016.  But there was one big thing that I missed this year.

I missed entrepreneurial endeavors.  There is something in my nature that just wants to create things and sell them.  A strong something.  I think I've spent more time this year telling myself "no" to these ideas than to any other thing.  

It seemed fitting to say no.  I mean, this year was supposed to be about simplifying and it seems pretty unlikely that any business endeavor I might take up would be simple.  Also, giving anything a real go felt largely impossible in the midst of welcoming baby number three into our fold.  

But those ideas are there and I can't help myself from looking forward a few years and wondering how I will spend my time when the kids are all in school.  And money is part of it, too.  We are doing okay on one income, but it would be nice to feel a little less pinched.  It would be good to feel like we could sometimes let loose just a little.  

So, in 2017, I want to NURTURE these entrepreneurial thoughts.  I don't want to repeatedly tell myself "no" or tell myself to be patient.  While there is no clear cut plan ahead of me, I have thoughts and ideas that I want to explore and encourage and allow to grow.

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And that's what I've got for now - a word and a host of plans that I am excited about bringing into my life.  I think that's a pretty great place to start the new year.

Cheers!