How We Plan to Explore More in 2023

We are nearly half way through the first month of the year, and I have finally discovered my "One Little Word" for 2023 - Explore.

Last week, I talked about how committing to a "One Little Word" each year brings intention to my year. But it is not just the word itself –– "explore" being this year's; it is the measurements behind it. So today I am sharing what are some key pillars to my year.

I will be sharing a more detailed list over the next week, but my goal is to really hone in on these four things to help us explore.

Family Mission Statement and Values

Every successful business, sports team, organization, church, etc. are built on a mission statement and value system. Why don’t marriages? They should! We have always place great importance on having those things locked in for our marriage and family, and I want to encourage you to do the same.

Often these companies revisit their mission statement over and over again as they map decisions, goals, figure out their direction, and so much more. Their mission statement is foundational to their business … and can just as (if not more!) foundational for marriages.

A marriage/family mission statement is the vision and the pillars are the foundations driving that mission forward. We hope that the pillars become part of our kids' lives as they grow up and develop their own pillars and mission statements for their lives and future families.

Ideally, I would like to spend some intentional time in the near future revisiting our mission statement and values. We will be exploring together on what that looks like in this season and then funnel all of our decisions through the foundation that we have set.

1000 Hours Outside

1000 Hours Outside is a global movement designed for any age child (or adult) and any environment. The creators encourage families to join the journey and watch your life transform before your eyes. They believe nature holds tremendous power for each and every one of us at any age or stage.

The entire purpose of 1000 Hours Outside is to attempt to match nature time with screen time. If kids can consume media through screens 1200 hours a year on average then the time is there and at least some of it can and should be shifted towards a more productive and healthy outcome!

While there is absolutely no way we are going to set ourselves up for 1000 hours… uh, that's a full three hours a day and then some… I want to log how much time we spend outside this year as a family. Time outside at school cannot count for us as we log our hours; I'm looking to have a measurable way at the end of the year to show how many hours we spent getting some much-needed Vitamin D and exploring together.

Declutter

Sometimes, we just feel tired of organizing stuff. We spend so much time organizing and re-organizing stuff that it uses up our time, and then we can’t use that time to do the things we love. Purging our homes of unnecessary things is important.

Decluttering has been a journey for me and while I continuously purge things out of our home that does not spark joy, I also find myself spending more time on the "finding new homes" part of picking up than I truly do getting it out of our home. I've been challenged lately with thinking about our home as a container with only so much storage space. I have been convicted of the things that I have because I will use them "someday".

Does this sound like you? When you walk into your house, how do you feel? When you wake up in the morning and look around your room or walk into your kitchen, how do you feel? If the answer sounds like “overwhelmed,” “stressed,” “nervous,” or “frustrated,” this challenge is for you. You are not alone and today you can take the step to change it. You will soon feel peaceful, at ease, happy, and relaxed. You deserve it. And so do I.

Places and Spaces

I have this continuous thought in my mind that our kids' time with us is always closer to expiring. They soon will want to hang out with their friends more. They will disappear to a girlfriend's or boyfriend's home. They will get summer jobs and go on to college.

I know this sounds dramatic with a six and four-year-old in my home, but while I have them, I want to spend quality time with them in places and spaces that we have yet to discover. I want to explore local parks with them. I want to find new ice cream shops. I want to get on my knees on a hiking trail and instill the love of learning about the world in them. And I want to do this in 2023 more than ever. Exploring with my family in this way is the first thing I thought of when the word landed on my heart, and I am so excited to create rhythms to ensure we are making memories together.

What's Your One Little Word?

Interested in discovering your own One Little Word for 2023? Check out my previous year’s OLW and my why:

This Year: Explore
2022: Create
2021: Breathe
2020: Simplify
2019: Nourish x2 (I carried over 2018’s because I didn’t quite feel done with it yet.)
2018: Nourish
2017: Savor
2016: Present