2023: Streamline
Intentional. Simplify. Invest. Persevere. Small.
Each year for the last five years, I’ve chosen one of these words as my word of the year. I love choosing a word each year to inspire me, remind me of where I want to focus my energy, and redirect me when I get off track.
When I started thinking about my 2023 word, I was tempted to return to a few of the words I’d used before. They all served me well and helped me remember to stay focused on a guiding principle for the year. During each of these years, I made changes and adjustments that still impact my life. They are words I hope will continue to guide me in the future.
But I wanted a new word for a new year.
For several weeks in December, I turned over options in my head, considering this word and that word, but nothing seemed quite right. And then one evening, while watching my child’s swim practice, I heard a coach call out, “Streamline!” I knew immediately it was the right word for this year.
According to the dictionary, the definition of streamline is:
Design or provide with a form that presents very little resistance to a flow of air or water, increasing speed and ease of movement.
Make (an organization or system) more efficient and effective by employing faster or simpler working methods.
The fall of 2022 was a whirlwind. It seemed like everything jumped from pandemic pace to full speed ahead, and I spent most of my days rushing from one place to the next, trying to tackle everything on my to-do list in five and ten-minute increments. My back-to-school goals of getting meal plans figured out were derailed by a change to our after-school schedule, and dinner is honestly a gamble around here most days.
My days are full, but they are full of the things I want them to be full of. I enjoy my work, I am happy I have the opportunity to take and pick my kids up from school each day (even though it means hours in the car). But I know that if I could streamline some things, especially around our home, it would decrease stress and open up some more time for things I want to do that keep getting pushed to the bottom of my to-do list.
So as we move into a new year, I’m considering how I can streamline. What can I do to make our home more efficient and effective? How can I create rhythms and routines that help me move through my days meeting less resistance?
I was never fast enough to swim competitively, but I’ve always been a good swimmer, comfortable in the water, and strong enough to be a lifeguard. I rarely figure out the logistics of making it happen, but swimming is my favorite form of exercise. And the part of swimming I love most is the moment right after you dive in, before you break the surface, when your arms are in streamline position, and you are gliding effortlessly underwater.
At the end of 2023, I’d love to look back and think of this as the year I learned to glide.