my word for the year, and the others that are tagging along

A new rhythm

There you have it my word for the year. Yes, not exactly a word, rather a phrase, but it’s a good one don’t you think?

I feel like this year, my first with two school aged children, is a time for me to ease into a new season, a new rhythm in my life.

Admittedly it has taken me a while to post my word for the year. But quite to my consternation two other words have surfaced while I have been pondering this phrase.

When I think of rhythm, I think of musicians. I grew up around musicians and I always find it amazing how a rhythm can get established and everyone fall in and around it. All adding their own interest yet always staying within the defined parameters.

And from growing up with musicians I know this doesn’t happen by fluke or even by raw talent (although that helps). For a group of musicians to work together and create a harmonious sound there is a great deal of practice that occurs. The discipline of hours and hours of scales or standards. The discipline of getting up and practising every day. The discipline of continuing, despite the perceived lack of progress or boring repetitive task. This discipline means in the end the musician has the freedom to create both on their own and with others.

So of course in this year of a new rhythm, discipline is another word that is tagging along. I must admit it has taken me some time to get used to discipline being part of this year. I am the kind of person who worries that too much structure will take the fun out of life. But like the musician I can see that the structure and discipline will actually give me freedom in the end.

The second word that has attached itself to new rhythm 2015 is focus. Clarity of purpose is essential for my new rhythm to work this year. I need to know what is important and what is not. I need avoid the distraction of those things that are not within my mandate for this year. As a people pleaser I am often easily waylaid. So this year is going to mean (once again) the rather trying task of saying “no” at times to good things that would help people I love. It is also going to mean me saying “yes” at times to things that freak me out but I know I need to do.

So that is the broad picture … How does this look practically? Well I am setting aside one day a week for my writing. Poetry, prose, blog posts I am interested to see what will come out of that time. Another day a week is for my house, with the aim to declutter as well as clean and tidy. With a three and a five year old working hard on creating clutter and mess we will see how productive I am. The rest is a little more flexible with errands, and time with little miss 3 on her precious non-kindy days.

It is also going to mean being strict with my diary and not scheduling things on my new rhythm days. It is going to mean understanding my own limits and giving myself grace when things don’t go exactly to plan. And of course it is sometimes going to mean forfeiting the structure for the sake of myself or my family.

I am already flagging things that may trip me up. Boredom being one of them, feeling isolated another, and who can discount the lure of the computer, or the TV or the pantry! There will need to be discipline and focus to enable me to combat these things too!

It feels like this year is going to be hard work. This is not something I do naturally. I am more a go with the flow kind of girl. But I can see the benefits, and so I am willing to try more discipline and more focus and see what it will yield. And of course (as always) I will let you know how I’m doing, and what I’m learning along the way.

Jodie

PS: For more words that are informing my new rhythm, check out my Pinterest board: New rhythm 2015