One Little Word: Explore

: to travel to a new place to learn about it or become familiar with it
: to inquire into or discuss (a subject or issue) in detail
: to think about it or comment on it in detail, in order to assess it carefully
: to look into closely; examine carefully; investigate

Each January, I anticipate the new year, the fresh start, the blank slate. My brain runs rampant with the idea of setting goals and making a plan for the upcoming adventure that the next 12 months hold. I spend hours daydreaming, imagining, and predicting what life could be… the what-ifs, but in a very good, good way.

We are nearly halfway through the first month of the year, and I have finally discovered my "One Little Word" for 2023. I had somebody ask me the other day, "Does picking one word for the entire year change how you behave throughout the next 12 months?" It was a valid question, and after some thinking, I answered "sometimes".

The One Little Word and the meaning behind it, for me anyways, is more about answering the question: "where do I want to grow, shift, mature, impact, evolve or change this year?". Not to dramatically overhaul our lives; yet, to answer the question in a way that stretches me or my family. It is a way to measure progress and each year I can say at the frontend "this matters to me". During the year, if something is a struggle or there is a hard decision to make, I use it as a weighting factor or a lens to look through. At the end of the year, I use it as a measuring stick -- a way to say "this was important to me, is it still, and if so, how did I go in that area?" It is a word that adds intention more than anything.

Over the past few years, we have created new habits, spent more deliberate time with our kids, and made decisions based on our intentions compared to "life just happening to us". I have purged a lot in my life. I have decluttered. We have simplified our activities and our stuff. We have said “no” to a lot of things to create breathing room for our family. We have worked hard to pay off some debt and make choices that reflected our family’s values. We have said "yes" in others areas to moment or the thoughtful laid-out plans. We have cultivated atmospheres that we have intentionally desired for our kids.

So much to be proud of. So much to smile at.

What about 2023?

In these upcoming months, I want to explore more. Exploring can sound adventurous. It can feel wide and vast. It immediately makes me think of discovering the unknown. But it also pursuing alignment in a space that is evolving. It breathes a desire to investigate truth and learn something new.

With years past, I have made some tangible goals of what my One Little Word means to me, and this year will be no different, but for now, I'm excited to share my anticipation of where I desire to grow in 2023.

What's a One Little Word?

Interested in discovering your own One Little Word for 2023? Check out my previous year’s OLW and my why:

2022: Create
2021: Breathe
2020: Simplify
2019: Nourish x2 (I carried over 2018’s because I didn’t quite feel done with it yet.)
2018: Nourish
2017: Savor
2016: Present