December was a big month for reflection.

I journaled every day using reflective prompts. (Well, maybe not every day but definitely most days. And I did write on all the prompts!)

My sister, niece, and I made vision boards on January 1st, and because of all that journaling and reflecting, I felt very aligned with my goals for the year, as well as honed in on what it is that I am really working toward. Most years my vision board has been a hazy collage of action and atmosphere. A mix of what I would like to be doing and how I would like to be feeling. More often than not, there was a lot going on to the point where even the universe would have trouble pinpointing what I was trying to achieve.

But this year, I think I finally got it down. Is it another collage? Yes. But I’m just drawn to collages okay! I like the way they look. The gist of the whole thing can be organized into four different sections: health, home, career, and fun. And what I chose to include on my vision board feels achievable, with or without the help of the universe.

However, I do believe that the universe is always conspiring to help us reach our dreams and goals. I also believe that we can’t be passive participants in the construction of our lives. We’re given opportunities, but we have to do the work and know when the opportunities are worth taking.

Which gets me to my word for January.

Every year, I pick a word for the year. I’m not sure I’m willing to share it in public yet. After all that reflecting and planning, it feels a little tender. A little personal. And I’ve been feeling like I spend a lot of time sharing my life online, which is fine and all, but I want this one to be for me just a little while longer.

However, I did buy a planner back in December when I was buying Christmas gifts for everyone at Barnes and Noble. I can’t resist a good planner. Maybe it’s the former teacher in me, but this planner was calling to me from the shelf. And what I loved was that on the first page of every month was a section for goals and what not, but also for a word of the month.

Which is to say: my word for the month of January is – FORWARD.

Like I said earlier, I spent a lot of time in December reflecting on 2025. It was a hard year. I’ve said in other blog posts that it was a learning year. And in thinking about all those hard learned lessons about grief and loss and resilience, I think I’m ready to move forward again.

All those hard feelings brought up my anxiety which had been pretty well managed until life started life-ing. And while I am through the thick of it, at least I hope, there’s still some residual anxiety happening that I am learning isn’t a failure or setback, it’s just information that my body and mind need a little more care right now.

Flares aren’t forever. And despite them, I want to enjoy my life.

That means moving forward: with my plans, with friends and relationships, with projects, with movement and travel.

And so far I think I’ve done a pretty good job of living that word, forward, during these first days of January.

I look forward to seeing how the word continues to show up through out the month and how it inspires action. I’ll let you know in a few weeks. : )