While I love the “word of the year” approach to a new year, it can be difficult to articulate whether or not progress has been made when one’s goal is fairly nebulous. I’ve been pondering for weeks over what I was going to write in this post. Then I looked at my list of ideas from last year and suddenly had a lot to say.
This is my list from last February, with my reflections:
– more game nights – I don’t know whether Brian and I played more games this year, but we definitely didn’t host more game nights. I will continue working on this going forward; we certainly have the game collection for it.
– date nights – Due to my in-laws moving to the area in late 2023, Brian and I were able to have more date nights (and days) this year than at any time since having kids. Highlights this year included dinner at Mezze in Williamstown, a Suzanne Vega concert in Great Barrington, a day at Fresh Grass music festival without kids, watching Jon Batiste preform at Tanglewood, and a trip to Treehouse Brewing.
– saying yes to invitations, especially those on Facebook that say “anybody want to…” – One lesson I learned this year is that some relationships aren’t worth pursuing and some opportunities aren’t going to result in new relationships. Those lessons came out of accepting invitations to do things I wouldn’t normally and with folks I don’t usually spend time with. However, I did take advantage of a local moms walking group that was lovely and made a neat piece of jewelry at a workshop.
– less time on my phone – Do I feel pretty good about my relationship with my phone? Yes. Did I actually spend less time on it? Let’s not check.
– more active involvement in both my book clubs – The winter book club through my church was incredible for me in terms of seeing how easily relationships could grow, especially around a dinner table. In the summer, I extended the gatherings by hosting a cookbook club that met three times. This was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and I was thrilled with how well it worked out. As far as my participation in Governerds Insider, Sharon McMahon’s online book club, I read more of the books than ever before. My participation in live events continues to be sporadic, but I’m an active participant in a more local chapter that’s been great.
– joining a church small group – This didn’t happen in 2024, but we’ve committed to start attending one in just a few weeks.
– hosting dinner guests – Beyond my cookbook club and my in-laws, this didn’t happen much but those relationships definitely improved as result of eating together.
– not bringing my phone to lunch at work – This is an area where I improved this year, though I still bring it sometimes.
– facilitating play dates for my kids – Play date planning is not a talent of mine, but we did manage to get the kids together with some of their friends a few times
– being present to really listen to my students – This one also varies day to day, but I think I made progress here
– supporting my colleagues in their extracurricular endeavors – Another area of variations, some of the colleagues I was thinking of when I wrote this have moved on to other schools and other endeavors. Still, I support when I can.
In addition, I have developed a really solid friendship with one of my colleagues. For a long time, I’ve not been able to make the sort of connections with colleagues that I hoped for a variety of reasons, but at least for now, I have the kind of work relationship I’ve always wanted.
Overall, a successful year. I’m looking forward to 2025!
Wonderful read. Isn’t it fun to see the years accumulate? I think so, anyway. This was my 9th year doing a year-end booklet from Year Compass.
The question “Do I like the relationship I have with my phone” is a really good one. I have always been more likely to ask “Am I spending too much time on screens” but I am going to change it now.
Friendship and community is really important. I am glad you have found more.
Last years word was transition (and my work word was storytelling), but this year will be about transformation.