Jenna’s Word of the Year | 2019

Sitting quietly, I stared at my PowerSheets and Simplified Planner and pondered how I wanted 2019 to unfold and what word would define my year. 2018 was a pivotal year for me and my heart, and as I sat there staring across the blank pages, I knew whatever word of the year I wrote down would be exactly what I was being called to do.

2018

In 2018, I started the year with ‘Cultivate’ as my word of the year but realized it shifted to ‘Simplify’ very quickly. In the spring of 2018, I found myself juggling #allthethings and crumbled by the time summer came. I wanted to cultivate all the things I cared about but I was confused because at the time I didn’t realize that something could still grow, even if I let it go.

By the time August rolled around, I began saying NO to everything and cleared my schedule, my space, and my mind. I needed simple, I craved space, and I was working so hard to grow in so many areas that I forgot what areas were most important to me and which ones I was simply cultivating out of guilt. If it didn’t help my business grow or didn’t involve my family – I said no. There were times I questioned if I was doing the right thing because some of those nos were actually really good things. But I’ve learned “too much of a good thing is still too much.”

This past weekend I sat quietly on my back porch and pondered what my word of 2019 would be. A single word kept resounding in my mind and no matter how hard I tried to search for other words, it became very evident to me that ‘EMBRACE’ is my word of the year.

Embrace (v)
accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically

While 2018 held many changes for me, our business and my family, 2019 is already proving to hold so much more.

Pregnancy:

Over the last four years, my husband and I have been praying for a baby – which I still cannot believe is actually happening – and I want to embrace every second of pregnancy, birth and all the joy a newborn brings. This may be my last pregnancy, and while it’s been easier than my last one, it has still been hard navigating a new normal that includes growing a human while working full time and raising two other children. But I want to embrace it all. Every kick, every pain, every piece of good news from the doctor, every nap, every gag while brushing my teeth, every ultrasound – I want to embrace all of it.

Working from Home:

Working from home is the biggest blessing! I not only get to do what I love in the comfort of my own home (and mostly in my yoga pants) but I get to do it surrounded by those I love – my husband and children. Win, win – right? Not always. Sometimes working from home proves to be a challenge when you’re looking at deadlines and faced with a pile of dishes or children who need your attention and NEED IT NOW. But friend, I want to embrace it. All of it. Every single hot cup of coffee that gets me through my to-do list and encourages me to pour my heart and soul onto these pages to you, every piece of clothing that is piled neatly waiting to be folded after I finish my work day that was purchased because of this business, every “mom” I hear yelled from down the stairs as I close my office door after a successful day of work – I want to embrace it all.

Motherhood:

Motherhood can be summed up in many words that may make you feel bi-polar – beautiful, chaotic, loud, messy, emotional, joyful, fulfilling, rushed, slow, happy, sad, constant, fleeting – and I want to embrace all of it. From the newborn cries in the middle of the night to the second-grade tantrums, I want to embrace it all. From the snuggles at night to the rolling eyes in the back of the car, I want to embrace it all. Every sticky hand, soft cheeks, nose kisses – I want to embrace it all.

Marriage:

Nick and I are celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary on January 15th (wow, I feel old!). Every time I think about how much we’ve accomplished together these last 10 years, I cannot help but get emotional. While our story is one that I treasure, it may not sound like a fairy tale but friend, I want to embrace all of it. This next year will be new for us as we step into parenthood with THREE living children, all while both of us working full time, and I know there will be moments of pure exhaustion mixed with moments of pure joy and friend, I want to embrace it all.

So whatever 2019 brings me, it is my hope to fully embrace it all – no matter how messy, chaotic, loud or crazy it may be! We’d love to hear from you and hear what your word of the year is! Please share with us in the comments below or on social media so we can cheer you on!

“Embrace the glorious mess that you are.”

-Elizabeth Gilbert