I’ve always been a big goal setter. There’s a whole section here where I used to publish them publicly. I set yearly goals, monthly goals, goals for work, goals for play. I set a goal to set goals!

The last several years have been a bit of a struggle though. From floods and divorce to moving a ton and remarrying and being pregnant/having a newborn and building a house and caring for my mom and losing my mom……

My goal has often been to just make it to the next day. To not crumble under the pressure of it all.

Even now, as I hope things settle a bit, I don’t feel ready to set a list of 42 goals and meticulously plan for accomplishing them. I don’t feel ready for elaborate routines and 100 checklists.

When I saw the internet doing more/less lists this year, that felt more like something I’m able to do right now.

Here’s what I want more of in 2023:

fresh flowers – I walk by the beautiful $10 bouquets in the grocery store and don’t buy them. I see wonderful yellow flowers around our home and don’t pick them. Here’s to more buying/picking.

books – I’m coming out of a season of reading very little and I’d like to read more. Fiction, nonfiction, and books with Max. All the books.

playtime – I’m good at work and not as good at rest and play. I want to sit on the floor and watch my baby play. I want to do things purely for fun for myself. More play.

movement – I’m not setting any specific fitness/health goals. After doing 75 Hard in the fall, I learned that I need to move by body more. I also want to see movement, as in forward progression. In business. In relationships. In big dreams. Let’s move our bodies and the needle in 2023!

walks outside – One of my favorite things about 75 Hard was that I took a walk outside nearly every day. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I felt better physically and mentally. I want to resurrect this habit.

written words – Here’s a nod to more written words! I’m not sure if this will mean more posts here, more social media captions, the resurrection of my bi-monthly email, substack(?!), or working on “the book.” I just know I want to get more words out of my head and onto paper (or the notes app on my phone). I also want to send more notes and cards and encouraging messages. I want to “say” words that I’ve been keeping to myself.

settling in – The thing I’m probably most excited for in 2023 is the opportunity to really settle into our home. We’ve been here a full year and as the holidays come to a close, I look forward to cleaning out the garage and hanging things on the walls and finally setting up the guest room. I’ve had to put house projects on the back burner as so much else was more important. I look forward to getting to do all the home things in 2023. I also want to settle into my relationships more deeply and into work routines. Basically, I want all the cozy, calm, and predictable vibes for the upcoming year.

puzzles and games – Card games, board games, your grandmother’s puzzle, tennis, basketball in the yard — you name it. I want game nights and snacks and to spend our free time doing fun things together. ***Before you come over for game night, you should know I’m hella competitive. You’ve been warned.***

adventure – In 2023, I want to travel near and far. I want to adventure in our own backyard. I want to try new things and go new places and seize this “one precious life” like never before.

spontaneity – I’m known to be a little bit of an over-thinker and this often puts a damper on my spontaneous side. Whether this is a last minute trip to Nashville or just an evening run for ice cream, I want to think less and do more.

celebrating – I want to celebrate it all. The big things and the small things. Your wins and my wins. I want to use the fancy glasses and drink the expensive whiskey and buy celebratory cakes. I want to celebrate the big stuff, but also the little, tiny baby stuff. Not just birthdays and anniversaries. I want to turn the small stuff that might normally end with a pat on the back into a reason to break out the special dishes.

intentionality – One of my biggest fears is to get to the end of my life and to see that I wasted it. That I spent years of my life scrolling on a cell phone or watching trash TV. I want to be intentional about how I spend my days, because those days add up to years. I want to intentionally sit down my phone and be present with the people I love. I want to make intentional decisions on how I spend my days, and not just let them pass by. I want to make intentional business moves and thoughtful choices for our family. I do not want the days to pass by without me CHOOSING how they’re spent.

laughter – One of the things I value most is fun and laughter. I want more laughter in 2023, yours and mine.

searching for light – I mean this one in a literal sense — opening the windows, sitting outside, traveling to sunny places. But I mean it in a more figurative way too. I want to search for lightheartedness. For people who reflect light. For people and things that draw you to them instead of push you away.

sips on the patio – We built the most wonderful patio overlooking our pond and I’ve scarcely taken the time to enjoy it. I want to sit there with coffee in the morning and sweet tea in the evenings. I want to sit there alone and with friends. I want to use that porch as an extension of the interior and spend more time out there.

sunsets – I am forever in awe on sunsets. I’m seldom awake early enough to see a sunrise and even when I am, they don’t speak to me the way a sunset does. I want to pause and enjoy them. Take pictures of them. Point them out to the people with me. More sunsets, please.

gathering – I want to gather my people. Close friends and more distant ones. I want my home to be open and inviting and a place to come together. I want to get together with the people I love most because time is fleeting.

enthusiasm – I often take life too seriously. I think I have a life full of trauma and low grade anxiety to thank for that. I’d like to embrace this year with a little more enthusiasm. I want to be enthusiastic about time with my family about work and about play. Less dread. More excitement.

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That’s a whole lot of words for some goals that aren’t really goals. Even though I’m approaching this new year differently, I am inspired. For now, my plans for 2023 are this list and this goal setting exercise.

After just a few days since making this list, I’ve definitely manifested several of these things! I’ve taken 2 walks outside. I have a weekend planned with my best friends and a trip with my family. I caught a beautiful sunset at #RetroRetreatLA. I finished a puzzle and we played cards 2 nights in a row. (This game is surprisingly fun!) I started a new nonfiction book I’m excited about. I wrote these words!

I know some of you are looking for an easier way to approach goals this year. If that’s you, simply try making a list of what you’d like more of in 2023. More ice cream? Sure! More bubble baths? Sounds awesome! When we name the things we want more of, we inevitably attract more of those very things.

Here’s to a more simple approach (the seems to be working) in 2023!

(P.S. I offer a workshop leading groups and teams through that vision planning exercise. Email me if you want more info!)