More in 2024
What do I want more of in the year ahead?
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I’ve spent the majority of the last 10 years focusing on less.
Less stuff.
Less distraction.
Less stress.
Less to-dos.
Less has been the answer for managing my anxiety and my everyday life. With less swirling around in my brain, I have more space for slowing down, leaning into my values, and calming my anxious spirals. The concept of less has served me well in my 30s, and I’m grateful to have discovered the worlds of minimalism and slow living.
As we head into a new year, and for me a shiny new decade (yay 40s!), I’d like to try shifing my focus onto more.
What do I want more of in 2024 and beyond?
When I think about more, I’m not considering unraveling all the work I put in to live with “less”. I’m thinking about how I want to fill the space I’ve created with more of what will add value to my life.
Word for the Year
A common practice for the new year is to come up with one word - an inspirational word that guides your focus for the year ahead. When I reflect on what this word would be for me, I keep coming back to the word NURTURE.
According to Google, the definition of nurture is “the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something.”
I want to nurture myself and my relationships, and I’d like to do that by allowing more into my life.
Seeking More:
Down time
Simplicity inspiration
Nature
Journaling, specifically hand writing
Creative space
Nutrition, embracing food as fuel
Gratitude
Movement, specifically weightlifting and walking
Faith and time with God
Connection, family time and bestie time
Drinking water
Mindful sensory experiences
Stretching
Affection, hugging
Breathing deep
Cooking and baking at home
Sleep
Reading books
This list might seem like a tall order, and by no means is it a list of shoulds that equal failure if not accomplished. It’s simply a broader vision of the kind of life I want to live and the values that take front and center. (Note: none of the items listed are material goods.)
Reflect
I recently read a book called The Measure and, in the book, everyone in the world receives a box with a string inside signifying the length of their lives. Some people had long strings, and others abruptly short. Some chose to open their boxes, and others kept them closed. It was interesting to see how each character chose to respond to the strings differently. At the heart of it, the question is: What do you want to do with the string you’ve been given?
I found myself reflecting deeply on this question, and it inspired me to think about how I want to enter the next year (and decade) of my life.
Journal Prompt: What do I want to do with my “string”?
Let this inspire you for 2024, for your “one word” and to think about what you want more of in your life.
What is on your more list?
My Favorites
Currently reading The Wishing Game
This hair milk does it all…it softens, detangles, controls frizz and provides heat protection (and it smells amazing!)
I love a good mocktail menu, espcially for “dry January”
If you know me well, you know that social gatherings wear me out. I’m loving these recommendations for recovering when socializing drains your battery.
This Tara Brach episode got me thinking more about pausing.
We enjoyed these recipes for cheese and chocolate fondue on NYE.
Looking ahead to spring and planning my edible garden. I sketch a rough plan like this in the fall and will order seedlings in the next few weeks. (#thisis40)
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Thank you for your kind support.
xo,
Diana
I want my string to matter.
Love it! Excited to listen to the podcast on pausing. Thanks for sharing!