Are you a New Year’s Resolution person?

I find myself super conflicted with that whole concept, honestly. Partly because it feels forced and arbitrary, and partly because it does not have foundational goal setting practices beneath to support someone toward success. Plus, I’m just sometimes super grinchy about all “holidays” in general.

What I do love though is the idea of setting an intention. One of the ways I like to do this is by setting a word to signify that intention — at the new year, it helps to define and describe the vision I have for myself and the year ahead. In 2020, my word was “Root”.

I frequently came back to that word as a touchpoint throughout the year and was happy when I arrived in December and saw the places and ways that I had enlivened that concept in my life and in solavis. Good roots were planted in 2020, despite the hardships and challenges.

It has taken me nearly half of the first month of 2021 to arrive at this year’s word. I tried to be patient as I awaited its arrival in my mind, and it was very much worth the wait.

Open.

Open, as in courageous.

Openness requires courage. Can I…will I…say yes to the invitations that present themselves to me? One of my intentions is to be brave in the area. To say yes, even if it feels risky, or scary, or unsure.

Open, as with happenstance.

In the field of Career Counseling, theorist John Krumboltz talks about planned happenstance. This view of career development leaves, and encourages, a space of being prepared and intentional but also open to unforeseen possibilities. Truly, some of the most remarkable transitions in my own life have been entirely due to happenstance. Part of this magic lies in the willingness to say yes when these unforeseen possibilities are encountered.

Open, as in vulnerability.

There are two times when I am prone to envisioning the yoga pose known as tadasana (mountain pose). One happened (and continues to happen) when I was prompted to visualize myself in a strong posture. The other is when I try to visualize the embodiment of vulnerability.

Mountain pose requires us to have our feet rooted, firm, beneath us, drawing the upward energy of the Earth, with back straight and strong, head up, gaze forward. Such a simple pose yet so powerful. To me, vulnerability requires both the openness and strength of this posture.

One of the things that delights me so much about this being the word that presented itself to me is that I’ve interpreted it a few different ways. There will be multiple avenues that this word will manifest in my 2021.

Open. Like a door. Like a book. Like the branches of a tree. Like an expanse. Like a field. Like a smile. Like a heart. Like the sky. Like the road ahead.

Bravely willing to put myself in the path of something yet to be seen with strength and vulnerability. Open.