2022 was my Year of Authenticity, and it's been a mixed bag. I have been more accepting of myself, and willing to say no to things if I don't have the spoons. I have come out as transgender to a...
2022 was my Year of Authenticity, and it's been a mixed bag. I have been more accepting of myself, and willing to say no to things if I don't have the spoons. I have come out as transgender to a lot of people, and being able to exist authentically in that sense has been very freeing. While I tried to eschew setting goals for the year, I had intended to be out to everyone by the end of 2022, and that hasn't happened. That said, a lot of the groundwork has been laid on a personal level, particularly from a self-acceptance perspective, but there is still a lot of fear of rejection there, and the remaining relationships in which I am not yet out are the ones which I am most afraid of losing. So Authenticity may continue for a little while into 2023 while I try to navigate that.
Generally, 2023 has crept up on me somewhat, and I haven't devoted any time to thinking about themes yet, so forgive me while I try to figure one out on the fly. I've just been through a breakup, and processing that has taken up the majority of my headspace lately. I am dealing with trying to overcome an avoidant attachment style, manifestations of which are what led to the relationship ending. Outside of romance, I have been feeling a little stagnant generally. Returning to work after completing a Masters degree has been a larger adjustment than I expected, and it has been sapping a lot of my energy to do other things outside of work. I haven't been reading, playing much music, coding, writing, cooking, or indulging in many of my other joys and hobbies. Each of those things feel like important parts of enjoying life, and they haven't been getting the attention and intention they deserve in the past few months. I would like to nurture and develop my abilities in all of those areas, as well as continue applying the lessons from the Year of Authenticity going forwards.
Some thought still to be done, I think, but a theme that feels appropriate right now is Growth. Overcoming attachment-based trauma, building better friendships, and continuing my journey as a trans woman feel like they are at the top of my priority list right now. But equally, I would like to develop my professional skills, as well as my hobbies. All of those seem to fit neatly under the category of Growth, and after a couple of years of possibly too-focused themes, something with broader applicability has great appeal right now. I'll continue to mull this over for a few days or weeks, and maybe refine the name and desired outcomes a little. But for now, 2023 shall be my Year of Growth.
From a more meta perspective, regular theme check-in posts might be nice to have, so those of us who are indulging in this system can catch up and cheer each other on.
I want you to know that Authenticity is an amazing theme and the one that marked me the most from the previous years posts. I think about it a lot and I’ve often asked myself about my own...
I want you to know that Authenticity is an amazing theme and the one that marked me the most from the previous years posts. I think about it a lot and I’ve often asked myself about my own authenticity this year, thanks to you.
I’ve made some check in posts throughout this year but they were not particularly popular. I will make at least one half year post for 2023 though. I’d be willing to take them quarterly if more people show interest…
The video is about the yearly theme system. More info: https://www.themesystem.com/ It's no secret that I am a die-hard follower of the theme system. I do not use a journal, I just do yearly...
It's no secret that I am a die-hard follower of the theme system. I do not use a journal, I just do yearly themes.
The Theme System has radically changed my life. It works, without having to put much effort into it at all, just as a conscious reminder of what your highest priority goal in your current life is. There are other ways to achieve this, but to me, this is a proven framework.
My theme for 2020 was "Body". That year, I re-discovered myself through ice skating. I started monitoring myself more, thinking more seriously about my lifespan, and discovered a radically new body and way of living. Unlike a random gym membership which goes unused 3 weeks into January, these changes are still with me today.
My theme for 2021 was "Finances". This one is a little more private, but that year, my work went from being a source of stress and exhaustion, to a source of fun and endless possibilities. It started a chain-reaction that made me significantly more well-off. These changes are still with me today.
My theme for 2022 was "Relationships". I journaled the early progress on Tildes. It was a hell of a year with a very weird false start, but that false start itself led to meeting somebody compatible with me on a level beyond anything I could have imagined possible. We live together, and we are celebrating our 7th month together next week. These changes will stay with me for a long time.
I have spent several months thinking about what my theme will be for 2023. For me, the system shows its true power by choosing one pain point / source of significant difficulty, and truly working on it for a full year. Choosing what the theme will be becomes an extremely important exercise.
My theme for 2023 is self-control. I will happily answer questions about the system.
Themes are a little more abstract than goals. The idea behind this is to ensure you cannot set yourself up for failure. "I will lose 5kg by the end of the month" is a nice and doable goal. But if...
Themes are a little more abstract than goals. The idea behind this is to ensure you cannot set yourself up for failure.
"I will lose 5kg by the end of the month" is a nice and doable goal. But if you haven't lost 2.5kg by mid-month, you might start stressing out and feel terrible about missing your goal.
"I will work on my body this month" is a more generic goal which allows you to think about how you /want/ to work on your body. If you try a diet and it looks like it doesn't work, your theme may push you to try new things: Hiking, gym, or maybe just changing something different about your body that you didn't expect but realized was more important than losing an exact amount of weight.
Themes reward exploration and being willing to change your mind. For example, at the beginning of the year, I was very hung up on getting together with one particular person (I mentioned a false start). But the theme is general, and allows me to change my mind. I am happier than I've ever been with my renewed choice. My year was very successful.
Goals can arise from your themes. It's also, I think, very fine to let yourself have generic goals as part of your theme, as long as you accept they might not be what you end up pursuing.
"I will learn Japanese" => "Year of Japan": I might learn Japanese. Or I might travel to Japan. Or I might discover that I love Kintsugi, really get into it, and next thing you know that's my job. Successful year, but I still can't speak Japanese (and who learns Japanese in under a year anyway? That's a super difficult goal!)
When you say that your theme was "body", do you literally mean that the theme is "body", or are there further qualifications that determine an area or aspect to explore within that theme? "Body"...
When you say that your theme was "body", do you literally mean that the theme is "body", or are there further qualifications that determine an area or aspect to explore within that theme?
"Body" can mean losing weight, but it can also mean getting a bunch of tattoos.
You’re getting it! My “goal” was losing weight but my theme was about taking better care of my body, including getting a minor surgery I had been putting off for a while and working on stretching...
You’re getting it!
My “goal” was losing weight but my theme was about taking better care of my body, including getting a minor surgery I had been putting off for a while and working on stretching more often to touch my toes more easily.
It's a good exercise that helps think about what your real goals are. Is your goal really "losing 5kg"? Or is it rather "I want to look better, feel better in my body, and as part of that I think...
It's a good exercise that helps think about what your real goals are.
Is your goal really "losing 5kg"? Or is it rather "I want to look better, feel better in my body, and as part of that I think losing 5kg would help"?
But "Goal: Look better in my body" is too abstract to really be a goal. I believe this separation between a theme and a goal is important, just like the separation between a project and a task.
I think there is something to this and it’s fair enough but IMO this is a matter of try it and see. Did you watch the video? CGPGrey goes in depth into the idea that you have to put yourself in...
I think there is something to this and it’s fair enough but IMO this is a matter of try it and see. Did you watch the video? CGPGrey goes in depth into the idea that you have to put yourself in the right mindset and ask yourself “how does this fit into the overall theme” very often.
Your theme is body. You have a choice of buying a pastry or not. Your theme says you shouldn’t. Nothing changes here, right?
Now this: you are presented with an opportunity to try a new sport. Your goal says “it’s a waste of time, just go to the gym”. Your theme however says “go for it”. Seeing things at a higher level allows you to understand what your actual goal is: feeling better in your body, and this new sport could be it.
IMO it’s not a very complicated concept, it’s really just a system to push you to look at your high level goals and wishes, not your immediate ones that get you to miss the forest for the trees. And it’s organised in a way that allows for motivation to do a lot of the hard work.
Enacting difficult changes in your life is a lot easier when you’re not fighting upwind. The theme moves the wind to your back, by making a lot of this work passive.
This year I want to work on self control. After a lot of introspection I realised that I have a common theme in a lot of my current issues - my food intake, my knee jerk reactions to various things, etc. I already know how to work on this but it’s the most difficult and present issue in my life. Integrating self control as part of my theme will remind me, every day, of what I am truly working towards: I don’t need to learn how to say no to a pastry. I need to improve how much control I can enact on my own desires. And so this isn’t about food, and asking myself the question at more times I otherwise would will allow me to really look at my life in a more global way.
Sorry if this is a bit jumbled, I’m on my phone, but I hope it makes sense.
You explain things very well, but I seem to have trouble with abstraction. So, help me out here. Suppose that my goal is to use RPG Maker to make a JRPG based on a story that's been on my mind at...
You explain things very well, but I seem to have trouble with abstraction.
So, help me out here. Suppose that my goal is to use RPG Maker to make a JRPG based on a story that's been on my mind at least for the past 10 years. It doesn't have to be good yet, it just needs to exist. From that goal, what would be my Theme, and how might it actually work?
I like the theme system also, though I haven't followed it as closely I think @Adys has. IMO you (lou) already have a theme in your head, from which the goal of making a JRPG came from. However it...
I like the theme system also, though I haven't followed it as closely I think @Adys has. IMO you (lou) already have a theme in your head, from which the goal of making a JRPG came from. However it make take some introspection and reflection to extract it out.
Why do you want to create this JPRG? Is it the writing? Creation of characters? The design of mechanics/spells/quests? Getting better at programming? Do you want to collaborate with other people? Do you want to entertain friends with it? Make money from selling it? Are you most excited to draw the art? Write the music? Voice the characters?
Maybe you answer "yes" to all of those questions, or none of them! The exercise of dismantling the goal is the useful part.
Okay, this is getting a bit intense lol. Not because you're being too intense, but that's very important and personal to me. It is not literally my main goal to make a JRPG in 2023, but it could...
Why do you want to create this JPRG?
Okay, this is getting a bit intense lol. Not because you're being too intense, but that's very important and personal to me.
It is not literally my main goal to make a JRPG in 2023, but it could be. It's a longtime dream and it felt like a good example to throw in the thread to help me understand the concept of "theme".
The reason why I would love to make a JRPG-like game is that when I was a kid that was such a magical place to be. At the same time, being ADHD, a lot of the mechanics of JRPG were (and still are) highly inaccessible to me. I talked about that in another comment before.
My favorite part of games like the Game Boy Pokemons, Chrono Trigger, and Earthbound is arriving at a new town, talking to a bunch of NPCs, and slowly discovering their secrets and mysteries. That sense of exploration of a whimsical universe where I'm taking part. Sure, combat can be cool, capturing Pokemon's, etc, but that was never the main thing for me.
More than anything, I like when a JRPG makes me feel part of a family, a group of friends, or a community -- probably because that is something I sorely missed growing up, and still do to some extent :*(
Without revealing too much, my game would be about a kid that expands and transforms his world (sometimes literally), growing his social relations in his search for his missing parents. With some kind of magical/whimsical analogy to the experience of seeing your parents divorce.
So yeah, heavy stuff. But fun with cute pixel art. And no, not like Undertale.
I love pixel art and learning how to do it might be a goal in itself. Unfortunately, I can't draw and have no artistic talent in those regards.
Or I might do a MUD game, which could be easier because it doesn't require graphics. In which case the story would be totally different, but still very relevant to me.
From your post, it absolutely sounds like you would benefit from taking the approach of looking at a theme rather than a goal you're not even certain is actually your goal. May I suggest a "Year...
It is not literally my main goal to make a JRPG in 2023, but it could be.
From your post, it absolutely sounds like you would benefit from taking the approach of looking at a theme rather than a goal you're not even certain is actually your goal.
That is a fair and reasonable suggestion. The only downside would be that all my years were "years of creation" in some way. However, it may be useful to label it explicitly. Thanks ;)
May I suggest a "Year of Creation"?
That is a fair and reasonable suggestion. The only downside would be that all my years were "years of creation" in some way. However, it may be useful to label it explicitly. Thanks ;)
I think this past year I did "the year of dogs," and it worked pretty well! Both of my sport dogs have progressed really well in 2022. My older dog got his first two titles in agility, and my...
I think this past year I did "the year of dogs," and it worked pretty well! Both of my sport dogs have progressed really well in 2022. My older dog got his first two titles in agility, and my younger one made great strides in her leash reactivity and focus during practice. I'm not sure when (if?) she'll be able to trial, but she's already much better about behaving around other dogs. I also taught the dogs some new tricks, like riding in a backpack and walking on a treadmill.
For 2023, I'd like my theme to be "saving." My partner and I have talked about buying a house together (he owns the one we currently live in), but I've never made a concerted effort to squirrel money away for it. I certainly make enough that I could be doing that. I'd like to hunker down, stop eating out so much, and spend less in general.
Edit: Revising my theme to "home and hearth," since it looks like we'll be buying a house in January.
I didn't start out this last year by formally declaring a theme, but I definitely had some things I focused on. So in retrospect, I'd label my 2022 theme as "Normalizing". Six days into 2022 I...
I didn't start out this last year by formally declaring a theme, but I definitely had some things I focused on. So in retrospect, I'd label my 2022 theme as "Normalizing".
Six days into 2022 I finalized my divorce, and the ex moved out in April. So for most of the year (and even in the earlier part of the year), I've tried very deliberately to re-center myself and re-discover what my personal "normal" is. Ending my marriage is probably one of the single best decisions I've ever made, but the relationship definitely left it's marks on my behaviors, habits, and interpersonal dynamics. I knew from the get-go that I would need time to level-set myself, and I think I've done a fairly good job of it. I definitely don't think I'm done, but I feel like I'm in a pretty good place.
I'm not sure what 2023's theme will be, but I do think I'll try and write it out this time, even if only for myself.
I didn’t really keep to my theme last year, but I also never really gave it a full try in the first place. For 2023 however, I’m all in on the Year of Simplification, which I hate the sound of, so...
I didn’t really keep to my theme last year, but I also never really gave it a full try in the first place.
For 2023 however, I’m all in on the Year of Simplification, which I hate the sound of, so I reduced it to just Simplify.
In keeping with this theme, I’m not going to give a lengthy overdone explanation like I normally would. 😆
2022 was my Year of Authenticity, and it's been a mixed bag. I have been more accepting of myself, and willing to say no to things if I don't have the spoons. I have come out as transgender to a lot of people, and being able to exist authentically in that sense has been very freeing. While I tried to eschew setting goals for the year, I had intended to be out to everyone by the end of 2022, and that hasn't happened. That said, a lot of the groundwork has been laid on a personal level, particularly from a self-acceptance perspective, but there is still a lot of fear of rejection there, and the remaining relationships in which I am not yet out are the ones which I am most afraid of losing. So Authenticity may continue for a little while into 2023 while I try to navigate that.
Generally, 2023 has crept up on me somewhat, and I haven't devoted any time to thinking about themes yet, so forgive me while I try to figure one out on the fly. I've just been through a breakup, and processing that has taken up the majority of my headspace lately. I am dealing with trying to overcome an avoidant attachment style, manifestations of which are what led to the relationship ending. Outside of romance, I have been feeling a little stagnant generally. Returning to work after completing a Masters degree has been a larger adjustment than I expected, and it has been sapping a lot of my energy to do other things outside of work. I haven't been reading, playing much music, coding, writing, cooking, or indulging in many of my other joys and hobbies. Each of those things feel like important parts of enjoying life, and they haven't been getting the attention and intention they deserve in the past few months. I would like to nurture and develop my abilities in all of those areas, as well as continue applying the lessons from the Year of Authenticity going forwards.
Some thought still to be done, I think, but a theme that feels appropriate right now is Growth. Overcoming attachment-based trauma, building better friendships, and continuing my journey as a trans woman feel like they are at the top of my priority list right now. But equally, I would like to develop my professional skills, as well as my hobbies. All of those seem to fit neatly under the category of Growth, and after a couple of years of possibly too-focused themes, something with broader applicability has great appeal right now. I'll continue to mull this over for a few days or weeks, and maybe refine the name and desired outcomes a little. But for now, 2023 shall be my Year of Growth.
From a more meta perspective, regular theme check-in posts might be nice to have, so those of us who are indulging in this system can catch up and cheer each other on.
I want you to know that Authenticity is an amazing theme and the one that marked me the most from the previous years posts. I think about it a lot and I’ve often asked myself about my own authenticity this year, thanks to you.
I’ve made some check in posts throughout this year but they were not particularly popular. I will make at least one half year post for 2023 though. I’d be willing to take them quarterly if more people show interest…
The video is about the yearly theme system. More info: https://www.themesystem.com/
It's no secret that I am a die-hard follower of the theme system. I do not use a journal, I just do yearly themes.
The Theme System has radically changed my life. It works, without having to put much effort into it at all, just as a conscious reminder of what your highest priority goal in your current life is. There are other ways to achieve this, but to me, this is a proven framework.
My theme for 2020 was "Body". That year, I re-discovered myself through ice skating. I started monitoring myself more, thinking more seriously about my lifespan, and discovered a radically new body and way of living. Unlike a random gym membership which goes unused 3 weeks into January, these changes are still with me today.
My theme for 2021 was "Finances". This one is a little more private, but that year, my work went from being a source of stress and exhaustion, to a source of fun and endless possibilities. It started a chain-reaction that made me significantly more well-off. These changes are still with me today.
My theme for 2022 was "Relationships". I journaled the early progress on Tildes. It was a hell of a year with a very weird false start, but that false start itself led to meeting somebody compatible with me on a level beyond anything I could have imagined possible. We live together, and we are celebrating our 7th month together next week. These changes will stay with me for a long time.
I have spent several months thinking about what my theme will be for 2023. For me, the system shows its true power by choosing one pain point / source of significant difficulty, and truly working on it for a full year. Choosing what the theme will be becomes an extremely important exercise.
My theme for 2023 is self-control. I will happily answer questions about the system.
I find myself uncertain of what can and cannot count as a "theme", and in what ways are themes different than "goals".
Themes are a little more abstract than goals. The idea behind this is to ensure you cannot set yourself up for failure.
"I will lose 5kg by the end of the month" is a nice and doable goal. But if you haven't lost 2.5kg by mid-month, you might start stressing out and feel terrible about missing your goal.
"I will work on my body this month" is a more generic goal which allows you to think about how you /want/ to work on your body. If you try a diet and it looks like it doesn't work, your theme may push you to try new things: Hiking, gym, or maybe just changing something different about your body that you didn't expect but realized was more important than losing an exact amount of weight.
Themes reward exploration and being willing to change your mind. For example, at the beginning of the year, I was very hung up on getting together with one particular person (I mentioned a false start). But the theme is general, and allows me to change my mind. I am happier than I've ever been with my renewed choice. My year was very successful.
Goals can arise from your themes. It's also, I think, very fine to let yourself have generic goals as part of your theme, as long as you accept they might not be what you end up pursuing.
"I will learn Japanese" => "Year of Japan": I might learn Japanese. Or I might travel to Japan. Or I might discover that I love Kintsugi, really get into it, and next thing you know that's my job. Successful year, but I still can't speak Japanese (and who learns Japanese in under a year anyway? That's a super difficult goal!)
When you say that your theme was "body", do you literally mean that the theme is "body", or are there further qualifications that determine an area or aspect to explore within that theme?
"Body" can mean losing weight, but it can also mean getting a bunch of tattoos.
You’re getting it!
My “goal” was losing weight but my theme was about taking better care of my body, including getting a minor surgery I had been putting off for a while and working on stretching more often to touch my toes more easily.
Not gonna lie, this sounds like "goals with more steps". But I'll think about it. Thanks ;)
It's a good exercise that helps think about what your real goals are.
Is your goal really "losing 5kg"? Or is it rather "I want to look better, feel better in my body, and as part of that I think losing 5kg would help"?
But "Goal: Look better in my body" is too abstract to really be a goal. I believe this separation between a theme and a goal is important, just like the separation between a project and a task.
I have trouble separating theme and goal, like, I'll think "who am I kidding? I know I want X".
I think there is something to this and it’s fair enough but IMO this is a matter of try it and see. Did you watch the video? CGPGrey goes in depth into the idea that you have to put yourself in the right mindset and ask yourself “how does this fit into the overall theme” very often.
Your theme is body. You have a choice of buying a pastry or not. Your theme says you shouldn’t. Nothing changes here, right?
Now this: you are presented with an opportunity to try a new sport. Your goal says “it’s a waste of time, just go to the gym”. Your theme however says “go for it”. Seeing things at a higher level allows you to understand what your actual goal is: feeling better in your body, and this new sport could be it.
IMO it’s not a very complicated concept, it’s really just a system to push you to look at your high level goals and wishes, not your immediate ones that get you to miss the forest for the trees. And it’s organised in a way that allows for motivation to do a lot of the hard work.
Enacting difficult changes in your life is a lot easier when you’re not fighting upwind. The theme moves the wind to your back, by making a lot of this work passive.
This year I want to work on self control. After a lot of introspection I realised that I have a common theme in a lot of my current issues - my food intake, my knee jerk reactions to various things, etc. I already know how to work on this but it’s the most difficult and present issue in my life. Integrating self control as part of my theme will remind me, every day, of what I am truly working towards: I don’t need to learn how to say no to a pastry. I need to improve how much control I can enact on my own desires. And so this isn’t about food, and asking myself the question at more times I otherwise would will allow me to really look at my life in a more global way.
Sorry if this is a bit jumbled, I’m on my phone, but I hope it makes sense.
You explain things very well, but I seem to have trouble with abstraction.
So, help me out here. Suppose that my goal is to use RPG Maker to make a JRPG based on a story that's been on my mind at least for the past 10 years. It doesn't have to be good yet, it just needs to exist. From that goal, what would be my Theme, and how might it actually work?
I like the theme system also, though I haven't followed it as closely I think @Adys has. IMO you (lou) already have a theme in your head, from which the goal of making a JRPG came from. However it make take some introspection and reflection to extract it out.
Why do you want to create this JPRG? Is it the writing? Creation of characters? The design of mechanics/spells/quests? Getting better at programming? Do you want to collaborate with other people? Do you want to entertain friends with it? Make money from selling it? Are you most excited to draw the art? Write the music? Voice the characters?
Maybe you answer "yes" to all of those questions, or none of them! The exercise of dismantling the goal is the useful part.
Okay, this is getting a bit intense lol. Not because you're being too intense, but that's very important and personal to me.
It is not literally my main goal to make a JRPG in 2023, but it could be. It's a longtime dream and it felt like a good example to throw in the thread to help me understand the concept of "theme".
The reason why I would love to make a JRPG-like game is that when I was a kid that was such a magical place to be. At the same time, being ADHD, a lot of the mechanics of JRPG were (and still are) highly inaccessible to me. I talked about that in another comment before.
My favorite part of games like the Game Boy Pokemons, Chrono Trigger, and Earthbound is arriving at a new town, talking to a bunch of NPCs, and slowly discovering their secrets and mysteries. That sense of exploration of a whimsical universe where I'm taking part. Sure, combat can be cool, capturing Pokemon's, etc, but that was never the main thing for me.
More than anything, I like when a JRPG makes me feel part of a family, a group of friends, or a community -- probably because that is something I sorely missed growing up, and still do to some extent :*(
Without revealing too much, my game would be about a kid that expands and transforms his world (sometimes literally), growing his social relations in his search for his missing parents. With some kind of magical/whimsical analogy to the experience of seeing your parents divorce.
So yeah, heavy stuff. But fun with cute pixel art. And no, not like Undertale.
I love pixel art and learning how to do it might be a goal in itself. Unfortunately, I can't draw and have no artistic talent in those regards.
Or I might do a MUD game, which could be easier because it doesn't require graphics. In which case the story would be totally different, but still very relevant to me.
From your post, it absolutely sounds like you would benefit from taking the approach of looking at a theme rather than a goal you're not even certain is actually your goal.
May I suggest a "Year of Creation"?
That is a fair and reasonable suggestion. The only downside would be that all my years were "years of creation" in some way. However, it may be useful to label it explicitly. Thanks ;)
Step back a level. Why is making a JRPG your goal?
Edit: Omnicrola asked the same but more elaborately. Never mind :)
starts reading comment
"Hm, I wonder who that is--"
sees username
"...why am I not fucking surprised :D"
I think this past year I did "the year of dogs," and it worked pretty well! Both of my sport dogs have progressed really well in 2022. My older dog got his first two titles in agility, and my younger one made great strides in her leash reactivity and focus during practice. I'm not sure when (if?) she'll be able to trial, but she's already much better about behaving around other dogs. I also taught the dogs some new tricks, like riding in a backpack and walking on a treadmill.
For 2023, I'd like my theme to be "saving." My partner and I have talked about buying a house together (he owns the one we currently live in), but I've never made a concerted effort to squirrel money away for it. I certainly make enough that I could be doing that. I'd like to hunker down, stop eating out so much, and spend less in general.
Edit: Revising my theme to "home and hearth," since it looks like we'll be buying a house in January.
I didn't start out this last year by formally declaring a theme, but I definitely had some things I focused on. So in retrospect, I'd label my 2022 theme as "Normalizing".
Six days into 2022 I finalized my divorce, and the ex moved out in April. So for most of the year (and even in the earlier part of the year), I've tried very deliberately to re-center myself and re-discover what my personal "normal" is. Ending my marriage is probably one of the single best decisions I've ever made, but the relationship definitely left it's marks on my behaviors, habits, and interpersonal dynamics. I knew from the get-go that I would need time to level-set myself, and I think I've done a fairly good job of it. I definitely don't think I'm done, but I feel like I'm in a pretty good place.
I'm not sure what 2023's theme will be, but I do think I'll try and write it out this time, even if only for myself.
I didn’t really keep to my theme last year, but I also never really gave it a full try in the first place.
For 2023 however, I’m all in on the Year of Simplification, which I hate the sound of, so I reduced it to just Simplify.
In keeping with this theme, I’m not going to give a lengthy overdone explanation like I normally would. 😆
Hahaha I love your theme and your approach.
Best of luck.