And just like that, here we are – 2023.

This is the first time I’ve sat down with the intent to write a post since Halloween. By the time I wrote that post in Banff, I was already running on fumes. By the last months of 2022, I could feel myself heading towards burnout and it really impacted some of the things that make me who I am, including my creativity and both the optimism and positivity that are core to my spark. This was caused by a number of factors – workflow volume during parts of 2022, the accumulation of navigating the last three years (including loss, the pandemic, my Mother’s health scare, rapid change, and the world literally and figuratively being on fire), etc.

Feeling this, I knew I needed to really focus on recharging and refilling my cup, and thankfully along came December, which is usually a restorative month for me and a time of reflection. It’s also not lost on me that this timing aligns with the Winter Solstice, in which there’s a narrative theme about going inward and reflection. About a week before the Solstice, I had the great fun to help plan and participate in an activity where participants chose and crafted their word of the year for 2023. You might recall my friend and colleague Carllie Necker writing about her own experience with this activity last January.

And so, on my last day in the office for 2022, I crafted the word CHANGE and framed it. More on this in a moment.

Going back to refilling my cup, one thing you may know about me is that I love Christmas, and that it’s a time of year where we see goodness, light and the spirit of generosity represented in so many ways including all the wonderfully kind things people do for one another all over the world. Combined with a two-week break filled with family time (in-person and on the phone), connecting with friends, a lot of time with Angus (including getting ready for his visit from Santa Paws) and both watching and reading great stories that reignited my creativity, I came into 2023 feeling more like myself than I have in months.

And now back to my word of the year (check out today’s blog header photo above).

The word CHANGE came to mind almost instantly after Carllie and I started talking about the activity. It’s a word for me that holds excitement, like continuing and new chapters of a story. It’s also a word that represents what I already know 2023 will bring in the form of exciting changes at work, and in line with themes I was already thinking about last summer when I wrote posts about perspectives changing and bringing more meaning into our and others’ lives.

Choosing a word of the year is also a way to develop a particular focus and create an invitation of what you want your year to hold. For me, my focus will be on both internal and external change.

As you think about 2023, what could be your word of the year and how does this begin to help you create a focus?