My Word for 2023
I started doing a “word of the year” back in 2019 and it’s something I’ve loved starting the year with. So much so that I plan to keep this going for as long as it’s working—4 years later, it’s still helpful. As cliche as it sounds, it really does set my year up with intention as I plan goals for my work, family, and personal life.
Before I get into my word for this year, you can read about my word for 2022. I also want to share a quick note about my custom goal-setting sheets which really help me with sticking to my goals, and having long- and short-term plans. I sent them out exclusively to my newsletter list a couple of weeks ago and while I don’t usually do this, there’s been a big request to send the newsletter (and goal sheets) once more. So if you’d like to get them, you can sign up for my newsletter as the last chance to receive them. I’m so happy to hear from many of you that you’ve already begun using them!
xx Ash
My word for 2023 is LESS.
+ Less stuff
+ Less scrolling on my phone
+ Less impulsive shopping
+ Less clutter
+ Less wasting energy on things I can not control
+ Less stress
+ Less chemicals
I want less “noise,” so I can focus on things that matter. Let me explain.
This word feels appropriate after what felt like an overwhelming year. In 2022, there were several lessons I learned. Boundaries being one of them. I worked on several brand partnerships, which I am grateful for, but as a new-ish mom of 2, my bandwidth was stretched pretty thin. I also launched my new beauty brand THIS, which was incredibly stressful and emotional. I truly love being an entrepreneur but as all business owners know, it can be a job that never stops you to allow it. I honestly felt all over the place. And when it came to my creativity, I felt drained—which is why I am working on boundaries.
When explaining this to my business coach, she encouraged me to start a decluttering process for my house. I didn’t really understand the relevance but it finally clicked. She explained that when we have less clutter, it frees us from distraction. Clutter can lead to stress, anxiety, and even depression. And since I work from home, I often felt really distracted by messy toys, boxes that needed to be unpackaged, laundry, etc.
I took her advice and did a major audit of our house. I started clearing out toys, closets, bathrooms, our kitchen and basically did a keep or donate pile for each area. I could see how less really did make a difference in my overall work ethic and mental health. I now do a monthly audit to keep things lean and free from clutter (as much as I can… it’s not easy with 2 toddlers!).
It made me start to think…what else can I take away?…and eventually led me to this year’s word. I put together a short list of goals that all support my word for LESS since it’s pretty all-encompassing.
LESS STUFF: As I talked about above, I go through my closet once a month and purge what I don’t want or need. I do this with the boys’ toys and clothes, too. I use these bags to organize what’s a return, what’s for donation, what’s to pack away, etc. which I find helpful—having a system.
Less stuff also goes hand in hand with impulsive shopping. I am no longer buying things because I feel the urge to buy (which was honestly SO refreshing during the holidays). I am making more intentional purchases going forward.
LESS SCROLLING: I tried to focus on this last year, but my goal is to really stick with it this year. I got in a bad habit of scrolling my phone before bed and I hate it. My solution is to set my phone on the other side of my nightstand so I can’t easily reach it. I have also set up timers on my phone so I know if I’ve reached my daily limit.
LESS WASTING TIME + ENERGY ON THE THINGS I CAN NOT CONTROL: Whether it’s a hateful comment in my DM’s or an unrealistic expectation I had… I am letting go of how that affects me.
LESS STRESS: I really don’t know how to eliminate this altogether and know stress is a part of life, but here are ways that make me feel better when I’m overwhelmed: Pilates or a walk outside, waking up early, breathing exercises, massage, bubble bath, CBD, and making a list of top 3 things I want to achieve for the day. I’d love to hear what helps you!
LESS CHEMICALS: This is pretty self-explanatory but I am focusing on buying only “non-toxic” cleaning supplies moving forward. We pick up the house and do laundry daily so I think starting with the cleaning products is a good start. I haven’t really focused on this until now. If you have a favorite non-toxic brand for household cleaning supplies, please share!
If you like choosing a word, what’s yours?
