As I shared a few weeks ago (you can peep the article here!), my one word theme for 2023 is ELEVATE. The big idea behind this word is to look at areas in my life that are going just okay and to spend time, energy, intention, and occasionally even a little money on them to elevate them to something I feel truly good about.
I sat down and created a list of ten things I will elevate in 2023. These fall into the categories of: learning, health, relationships, and fun. Some of them are what I call “one and done”, which means I do it once and then check it off the list. Others are daily, weekly, monthly, or simply ongoing commitments. As you’ll see, I put in a good mix of things that require a lot of effort as well as more whimsical items that are there for pure enjoyment and elevation of the every day.
I’ll break it all down for you here:
Learning
Become an Ayurvedic Health Counselor: I began this course in September of 2022, and am on track to finish the 600 hour program by autumn of 2023. This is a true investment I’m putting into myself, my family, and hopefully, my community. Not only will it elevate our every day lives, but I also believe it will elevate the dharma of my future-self when the kids are in full day school and I have more time to focus on helping others with their holistic health goals.
Attend an Ayurvedic retreat in Florida: This is an optional part of the Ayurvedic Health Counselor training, but one I’m REALLY excited about. I can’t wait to meet my teacher in person (I’ve been listening to her Simple Ayurveda podcast for years so she’s somewhat of a guru to me!), and also immerse myself in all things Ayurveda for an entire long weekend. Talk about elevate!
Write recipes of favorite healthy (but easy!) dishes: Much of Ayurveda takes place in the kitchen. While I’ve had fun looking at Ayurvedic cookbooks for inspiration, I truly like to keep things as simple (yet healthy!) as possible when it comes to cooking my own food, and many of the recipes are more complex than I’m willing to go. Hence, I’m working on a project of writing out all the simple, cozy (yet super healthy) recipes my family loves, so I have a written record to pass on to my kids, and ALSO to share with anyone else who is looking for the same. As subscribers to this newsletter, you’ll be the first to know when this project drops. Stay tuned!
Health
Weekly dance class for fun and cardio: Now that I’m 40, I’m trying to integrate a bit more than yoga into my exercise routine. I always got so much joy from dance class as a child, plus it’s just such a fantastic way to break a sweat! Right now I’m signing up for weekly virtual classes through a local NYC studio (have tried both ballet and hip hop, such fun!) I hope to make it to in-person at some point if childcare allows:-)
Relationships
Weekly phone calls to faraway friend: Friendships are such an important part of happiness, health, and life satisfaction! I’ve set a standing weekly call with a dear friend of 15 years who has moved out of New York, so we can remain in the loop of each other’s lives.
Monthly culture date with hubby: This is two-fold: have a standing monthly date with my husband, while also doing something novel and fun. Living in NYC there’s no shortage of culture, it’s just remembering to take the time to enjoy and take advantage of it. Elevate, my friends!
Use reward charts to elevate behaviors I want to see in my kids: Whether you’re two or two hundred years old, everyone enjoys positive rewards. I’m going to be more intentional to reward the behaviors I want to see rather than spending lots of time correcting the negative (as this is super draining on the kids and me, too.) The sticker charts are up and going!
Fun
Refresh my pajamas for real pajamas: I spend A LOT of time in pj’s (the kids go to bed early so I usually take my bath around 7pm!) so why not have ones I love?! Goodbye, ratty t-shirts and sweats!
Utilize Goodreads to find books I’ll really enjoy: I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I don’t finish books I don’t like. I just stop. Unfortunately, this means I start a lot of books without finishing. I’m going to be more intentional about updating Goodreads so I can get personalized recs of books I will enjoy. If you’re on, we can connect here!
Daily teatime with family, friends, or me: I love the morning, I love evenings, and I ALWAYS hit a bit of a slowdown in the afternoons. To break up the day and give myself something enjoyable to anticipate, I’m going to plan a daily teatime. This can be as simple as sipping an herbal tea and nibbling a piece of banana bread at home with my toddlers, or as elegant as actually putting on a dress and hat and going out to tea with a friend. Obviously it will be much more of the first, but I’m already anticipating how I will make these teatimes special and elevated:-)
Would love to hear—have you planned out items that fall under the umbrella of your 2023 word?
A Hygge Haiku From My Week
Crunch crunch, goes the snow.
Rosy cheeks, visible breath.
A winter weekend.
Announcements
—For February, we will be reading and discussing the book ’A Place In The World: Finding The Meaning Of Home’ by Frances Mayes. I’ll announce the date of the discussion soon, but in the meantime you can begin diving into the book! You can join the Hygge Yoga Community to participate! (The Hygge Yoga Community gives you access to our monthly virtual meetings, a monthly virtual yoga class, a private Facebook community, and helps support this newsletter. It’s a lovely way to connect deeper with your cozy community:-)
—Want to create your own list to track your 2023 word of the year and goals? Here’s a PDF for you!
A Cozy Quote To Leave You With
“It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it.” —John Burroughs
I Love this! I should do the same with my word... I have a mind map but not actual actions!
PJ, I did it this year! Best thing ever!
Goodreads is awesome to keep track of every! Books I own books I want to read, have read, never finished... You canake up so many lists!!!
And I can't wait for your easy recipe booklet! I do not like cooking but want to cool and eat healthy!