It’s been 12 years since I began the practice of having a word help guide me through my year of life experiences and lessons. Each year I like to recap how it went and predict my intentions with the newly chosen word!

Last year when I selected the 2022 word, Rise, I read a blog post where someone defined the word using the Hebrew root:

To accomplish
To confirm
To be clearer
To raise up
To strengthen
To succeed
To build
To carry out
To make good

2022 was predicted to be all about taking the Cardinal Rule Press mission and vision to the next level as a team. We had a year of rising from one mountainous climb to the next!

Rise - How it went 

Friends
The goal was to include more coffee, lunches and time with friends and in addition, to be the initiator. I think I got off to a good start here but that I can always do better! 

Personal
For my personal goal, it was to take time to pause and notice my feelings and how my body reacts. I am happy to report that reflecting before reacting is getting better and better for me. Maybe it’s age that helps? It could be all of the self help books I like to read to help me as a parent, spouse and human.

Either way, it feels good to be in touch with how I am feeling and how that in turn causes physical reactions in my body. 

Family
Sunday dinners with others.

We love spending time with others on the weekends and have been getting back into this since the worries of Covid have reduced some. Before Covid, we would invite a large crowd, now it’s Grandma and cousins or a neighbor family.

Learn
Mastermind 2022! Put 100% into this group.

I showed up, participated and did the work. The Product Boss mastermind was a great tool and support system for me this year. 

Dave
Continue to grow our connection-try pickle ball!

I think constantly working on your marriage is so important. We’ve been married 17 years and I am still learning new things about Dave! We did play on a pickle ball league in the summer once a week.

However, we quickly learned he was good at it and I was not! The organizers did not have us playing together! Morning coffee is still a sacred time for us to connect. I will continue to find new ways and build on the old ways to connect in the new year. 

Home
Quality Time with kids. Rise before them all!

Just like working on our marriage, I don’t think this is a goal I can say I 100% accomplished. I can always do better connecting with our kiddos! I will say our oldest and I have a new routine of watching the Gilmore Girls together. Our youngest taught me how to play chess and we have that now. Our middle child is easy going and likes running errands with me. I will continue to work on connecting with the kids one-on-one! 

Health
Foundation is set. Fine tune sugars.

I have been doing the Faster Way workouts and working with one of their health coaches for a year now. I love the strength training and the accountability of having to check in with a coach. I wanted to take it to the next level by fine tuning my intake of sugar. I did clean out heavy sugars in our condiment stash but can continue to work on this! 

Work
Rise to the challenge of selling 2x the amount of books in 2022. We had quite a year at work with many challenges. I am super proud of how our team powered through. Looking back, I am also impressed how I held it together during some tricky situations. Did we sell 2x the amount of books? Very close! 

Give
Open our home to foster kiddos.

In 2022 we received our Foster Home License. We have provided respite for 8 children in our home this year. It came with it’s challenges (I am seeing a reoccurring theme this year—lots of challenges!!!) but as a family, we found what works for us. Our foster friends need extra support when they are in our home so about half way through the year, we decided when we are providing care, I am in charge of the foster child and Dave handles bedtimes, etc for our three. 

Here’s a recap of the words that have guided me through the last 10+ years! 

2011: Peace
2012: Balance
2013: Grace
2014: Grow
2015: Content
2016: Play
2017: Connect
2018: Intentional
2019: Focus
2020: Beauty
2021: Light
2022: Rise
2023: Energy 

Energy
This year’s word is going to be ENERGY.

The main areas of my life that I will carry this word through are: Health, Work, Relationships, Friendships, Family and anything else that comes up. 

The following are some guiding questions.

• Energy-how do I create it?
• Energy-How can I save it?
• Energy-How do I use it? 

I have a beautiful example of how this could pertain to work. A few years ago, I was unorganized with our company files. The amount of energy it took for me to find a specific file was ridiculous. It was a total waste of time! I worked with a business coach to get us organized (Brittany Dixon).

I am excited to dive in. Let’s do this 2023!!!