Embracing “Ease”: My 2024 Word of the Year

Jan 20

Watercolor florals painted on a card of watercolor paper with the word "ease" on it

Hey there, sweet friend! The new year is well underway and I am finally back in the studio. And I came back with a brand-new word of the year. So drumroll, please... My word for 2024 is EASE! In this blog post, I want to share with you why I chose this word and how I plan to infuse it into every nook and cranny of my life.

Planning to Succeed

In a world that's constantly on the go, finding balance can feel like trying to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle (which sounds absolutely terrifying, BTW). It's about creating harmony between work and play, productivity and rest. So what I have done is made the decision to spend the entire month of January to plan, prepare, and set up systems that will create ease and balance throughout the entire year. Yup, so that means that I am planning out all my work meetings, every blog and email topic, setting up a social media content calendar, planning my exercise & clean eating habits, and much more. It definitely is a lot of work but that is why I have set aside an entire month to do it. All good things deserve the right time and effort to reach success.

Revisiting Simplicity

One thing I know is that life can sometimes feel like a wild rollercoaster ride, with twists, turns, and loop-de-loops that leave us dizzy and disoriented. That's why I've decided to hop off the chaos train and embrace simplicity (again) with open arms. If you remember, the word simplicity was actually my word of the year for 2023. Ease is my gentle reminder to simplify, declutter, and let go of unnecessary complications. For example, if it something doesn’t align with my goals or the goals for our family, then there is definitely no need for it in our schedule. It’s the perfect time to make room for the good stuff and bid farewell to all the things that don’t have a positive impact on our spiritual, emotional, and physical health.

Embracing Flow

Picture yourself floating down a lazy river, basking in the warm sun, and sipping on a fruity drink. That's the kind of flow I'm talking about. This year, I'm all about surrendering to the natural rhythm of life. By aligning my actions with my intuition (not against it) and allowing things to unfold organically, I'm inviting more ease and serendipity into my days. So even though I am planning out my hours, days, and weeks, I am including 30 minute to 1 hour “buffers” between my “energy draining” activities to help give me time to plan and pivot for when unplanned situations arise. And when a fun opportunity with the family arises, I will remember to release my control of my schedule and live in the moment more.

Finding Balance & Rest

As a way to eliminate the sense of “hurry” or “hustle” that we tend to hold in our hearts, this year our family is also incorporating the biblical principal of Sabbath. Our plan is to take an entire 24 hours each week to completely rest. That means no work and no screens (phones and laptops turned off). JUST REST. A quiet day to take a nap, enjoy our time playing and exploring together, or even dive into a hobby we individually love. What I absolutely love about this is that we will now each have to plan out our personal and work lives around making sure we have everything accounted for before the day of Sabbath. Besides, life's too short to be all work and no play!

Cultivating Self-Care

Self care is much more than just soaking in a bubble bath or getting a pedicure done. It’s being COMPLETELY in tune with what your individual body and brain needs. For me the perfect equation for this involves ingesting clean & whole foods, moving my body everyday, painting everyday, laughing & playing with my kids, removing the majority of screen time, and reading books that just make me dream and wonder.

So as we embark on this wild and wonderful journey called 2024, I'm thrilled to have "ease" as my trusty companion. It's a reminder to simplify, let go of anything that throws us off balance, and infuse every moment with a lighthearted touch. Tell me…have you chosen your word of 2024? And if you have any amazing books you’d like to see me read in 2024, please feel free to comment with those below!