With the new year comes my reflections on 2024 and my goals for 2025. As someone who is perpetually in a state of reflection, this transition of years from one to the next brings an extra dose of introspection and soul searching.
Typically, I decide on my “Word of the Year”. In the past, I’ve landed such things as ‘grace’ and ‘flow’, but I haven’t determined my 2025 word yet. I am certain it's not the Oxford Word of the Year. It will come to me soon, I’m sure.
I journaled this morning and briefly reflected on the past year. It’s been a doozy, full of some fairly low lows and some tremendous highs. I am blessed and grateful beyond belief for this life I am able to call mine.
For the past few months I have been in the doldrums. My creativity was zapped, my productivity tanked, and my overall demeanor was blanketed with lethargy, moodiness, and indifference. I don’t want to stay on that path. I want to break out. There seems to be no better time than now. (Side note: I plan to work on my creativity by doing The Artist's Way to help with this!)
With that, I decided to think about my books The Great Trait Mates and apply their characteristics to my own life and how I hope to nurture and grow those attributes this year. These are my thoughts about how each of the unique traits the Great Trait Mates represent can become a bigger (and better) part of my life.
Authentic Austin: Authenticity is one of my core values. It is not one of the 10 IB Learner Profile (which the series is inspired by) but I added it to the series because authenticity means so much to me personally. Being authentic can manifest itself in many different ways, but how does it specifically look for me? One way I hope to grow in an authentic way is by feeling more comfortable in my own skin-both physically and emotionally. I want to love who I see when I look in the mirror and I want to celebrate ALL of the feelings I have (BIG and small). I plan to work on this by doing my best to increase my healthy habits and maintain the ones I already possess. I plan to do a great deal of work on accepting the aging process and embracing all of the perks of growing older. Each line and crease on my face have an important story to tell and there’s no need to hide them. This is all easier said than done though. Lastly, I want to show up authentically in my interactions with others. I don’t plan to be selfish, but I also don’t intend to silence myself anymore for fear of what others might think or say. I want to try to fully step into who I am.
Balanced Barrett: Balance is tricky, just like I say in the book. It’s so tempting and easy to fall into the imagined joy of excess. Whether it’s one more bite of ice cream that I know will make my stomach hate me later or scrolling on my phone for 10 more minutes (which then turns into 30), reeling myself in can be hard. On the days I am able to balance my wants with my needs, I always go to bed and wake up the next morning feeling SO MUCH BETTER! I also need to strive for balance with my thoughts and not just my actions. Anxiety is a real and true tag-along in my life. Strengthening my tools to keep it at bay and keep myself balanced is a huge goal for me, but one that I am determined to attempt.
Caring Claire: In the book, I talk about how Claire is caring for herself and others. I think it’s important for kids (and adults) to remember this. I suppose it’s that “put the oxygen mask on yourself first” analogy. I actually think I do a fairly good job of caring for myself. My focus this year will be to grow in how I care for others. The big emphasis for me will be on actions vs. thoughts. Caring from afar is well and good, but acting out on caring is a place I would like to grow.
Cora the Communicator: I believe communication is one of my strengths, but I’ll admit that there are places I could improve. To begin with, I’m not always the best listener. If I'm being honest, more times than I’d like to admit, I am that person who is figuring out how I will answer while the other person is still talking. If not I’m not doing that, then I am distracted by my phone or outside influences. I want to work on being more present and in the moment as a communicator.
Ivy the Inquirer: I love learning and staying curious. I think for this trait, I want to practice being curious in new ways. I know I need to be an inquirer when it comes to things like marketing and social media. I always want to explore new hobbies that I haven’t pursued before. Learning a new language is one of them!
Knowledgeable Knox: This one makes me laugh a little bit. I know that knowledge is important and I do envision myself as a lifelong learner. But the reason I laugh is because my husband and I attend a weekly trivia event and I’m always so bummed out when there are things I feel like I should know but don’t. I want to know more, but I also hope to become more confident with the things I already know. Imposter syndrome is real and I’ve let it talk me out of things too much in the past.
Open-Minded Opal: Wow, this one is tricky. I think many of us consider ourselves to be open-minded (and we probably are to a certain extent), but I also believe that we have blind spots. Considering others’ perspectives takes a lot of hard work , courage and a willingness to admit that we can’t always be right and our way isn’t always the best or right way. One belief I have is that the world could stand a little more open-mindedness. I think trying to step into others’ shoes, assuming positive intent, and seeing things from a different perspective would help in so many incredible ways.
Principled Pearl: Oh, Pearl. Pearl, Pearl, Pearl…you principled girl. I once had a friend tell me, “It’s always easier to do the wrong thing.” I don’t know how much I believe that- one way or the other, but I have seen it play out in my life many times. I’ve learned as I get older, though, that going THROUGH the mess instead of AROUND it truly does help more in the long run. Doing the right thing, as often as I can, really does improve my quality of life.
Reflective Ronan: Reflection is a learned practice, I think. There’s a difference between dwelling on something with worry and consciously thinking about what you experienced, how you learned and grew from it, and how you might do things differently. Journaling seems to be a great way for me to shift from the perseverate mode to the reflective mode. One thing I do plan to try to incorporate into my routine this year are more moments of mindfulness and meditation. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes!
Resilient Rosie: Resilience is the other character trait that I added to the series. While it’s not necessarily one of my core values (the other is connection), I do believe learning resilience is an incredible skill for humans to develop. Life is not always easy. In fact, there are times where it is so hard we think we might not be able to rise out of the depths we find ourselves in. One of my best friends reminds me, when I feel down and defeated, that I have survived 100% of my hardest days. As an incredibly sensitive person, such a simple phrase helps. I’m not sure how I will grow in my resilience, but I do plan to keep that sentiment with me always.
Ruby the Risk-Taker: In Ruby’s book, I talk about the importance of taking healthy risks. Risk taking doesn’t have to be bungee jumping or sky-diving. It could be something as banal as having the courage to tell the waiter that your order was wrong or correcting someone you’ve just met when they call you “Marcy” instead of “Macy”. Both true stories, by the way. Risk-taking is very hard for someone like me who carries anxiety with her everywhere she goes. Therefore, it’s always an important trait for me to challenge myself to improve.
Theo the Thinker: Thinking is constant. I’m not sure my brain ever stops. (I never understand how people can answer "nothing" when you ask them what they're thinking). But again, there’s a challenge in focusing our thinking, shifting our thinking as needed, and putting the brakes on thinking that is counterproductive to our best interests or what is needed in any given moment. Thinking also relates to problem solving, which is hard at times. For me, my goals center around calming my anxious thoughts and continuing to solve problems creatively.
After going through each of these, one thing that always jumps out at me is the fact that none of these traits stand alone. With authenticity comes risk-taking. With communication comes care. With reflection comes balance and open-mindedness. The connections and intertwining of these attributes are endless.
This is why I truly believe in the importance of The Great Trait Mates and the impact they can have with children. It’s not that I believe the books themselves are the best thing ever (they’re not the worst though). It’s the conversations, connections and growth that I believe they can spark and ignite with kids of all ages that make them truly special.
Life is beautiful and hard, magical and mundane. We all have to figure out how to navigate this world successfully. The new year and The Great Trait Mates go hand in hand perfectly in our journey to move forward!
Which Great Trait Mate attributes will you work on in 2025?
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