Welcome, 2024! If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that each year I pick a word of the year to guide me. I’ve blogged about it in the past, using the chosen word as a constant reminder throughout the year to align my actions and mindset.

Last year, I chose “curiosity”. While it’s still a work in progress, I’ve discovered that approaching life with a curious mindset has proven to be incredibly beneficial in my every day interactions.

As we step into 2024, I found myself struggling to find the perfect word for this chapter of my life. But, I think I’ve settled on the word “tender.” As an adjective, it means showing gentleness and concern—a quality I believe will be useful this year, especially as Robert enters his pre-teen years and my other kids become more aware of the differences between him and other kids his age. Tender, and it’s meaning, feels right.

It also reminds me to treat myself with tenderness and compassion. Like so many others, I’m guilty of being unnecessarily critical and hard on myself instead of treating myself the way I would my best friend. 

To better align with this word of the year, I’ve also set 2 goals for myself in 2024. I’m not usually one for “New Year Resolutions”, but in this case, I think they complement my word of the year. Treating myself with compassion means that I must better nurture myself. My first goal, in an effort to give myself meaningful self-care, is to read 52 books this year (I’ve already read 2!). The second goal is to engage in intentional movement for at least 20 minutes every day.

Working from home makes it easy to stay seated for much of my day. I’ve committed to walking, running or moving my body intentionally for 20 minutes every day. Although I’ve been successful so far in 2024, today marks the first day that I’m working from home without small children underfoot (who remind me that they need to get out for fresh air). This reminds me that I have to be intentional in order to be successful.

I’d love to hear about your word of the year! Share it with me and join me on this journey of learning to be more tender and compassionate with both myself and with others, throughout 2024.