New Year: One Word, and A Promise to Myself

When I thought about starting a blog.... it was about doing something for me.  And if you look at my history, you will see that it is one more thing that was for me that I haven't kept on well at all.  This makes me sad.  Sad in the sighing, shaking my head, throw my hands up in the air in utter defeat and crawl back in bed with the covers pulled over my head kind of sad.  First world problems I guess... but at the same time I think that it is probably a global problem that women put others before themselves.... ALL THE TIME.  

And that's what has happened for me and this blog.  It was going to be a way to document my life and the life of my family and the crazy antics we have and instead it has become one more thing on my list of wish I had time for, but just doesn't happen.  Which brings me to the New Year and resolutions and such.

Last year I found the trend to do a one word theme for the year, instead of a list of resolutions that in the words of Mary Poppins are "pie-crust promises.  Easily made, easily broken."  

source

Last year I chose "Simplify".  

It was a good word.  Something I needed.  And honestly, it was something I kept in my mind throughout the year, even if I wasn't always keeping things simple, I did try to keep it in mind. Usually, resolutions are out the door after the first week, so I think that the one word theme was more of a success than a list of resolutions, but certainly 365 days later my life is not the amazing example of simple living that I had hoped I would be living.  Sigh.

So I have been mulling over giving it a go again this year and trying to decide what my word would be and what would that look like.  

I had kind of settled on "Less".  

Less sitting, less complaining, less stuff, less weight, less stress.... and then I thought I needed to change it to a phrase to fully encompass the idea "Less is more".  Less seemed inadequate in some ways.  If someone asked me about my resolutions or my word, I would have to spend a long time explaining, but "Less is more" wouldn't require as much defining.  So I have spent way too much time overthinking my one word for the year and whether it would be ok to have a phrase instead of just a word and you can probably see why words like "simplify" and "less" might be good ideas for me to try to practice.  Sheesh!

So deciding to move on from the one word/one phrase debate in my head, I analyzed and determined what made it successful and why wasn't it successful?  Why at the end of 365 days did I not feel like my life was as simplified as I wanted it?  Where did I go wrong?  And then I stumbled across this article and it has completely inspired me to change my whole approach to things.  My life isn't simple because I lack good systems.  I would have less stuff and less stress and more of the good stuff, if I had better systems and used them everyday, instead of the willy-nilly way I approach life now.  It always seems to be more of putting out fires and focusing on the most immediate crisis, which is probably more my fault than I would like to admit.  Somewhere in life I got too busy and stopped creating, or never created a system to deal with each thing I do in my day, so that good habits are built in my day.  Duh!!!  

I almost thought about changing my one word to "Systems"... 

almost.  

But it doesn't sound pretty or inspiring.  

"Systems"  

It kind of falls off the tongue in one big dud.  Therefore, I am sticking with "Less" with the idea that "Less is More", but achieving this will happen this year by focusing on creating systems.  

So, I have the inspiration, I have a plan and hopefully at the end of the year I have MORE by having LESS.  

What do you need less of so that you can have more? Do you have systems that work in your day?  What systems work for you?