We’re two weeks into January. Last year at this time, I was two weeks into another 31 Days adventure related to my Word for 2013 – PURPOSEFUL.

This year, I’m starting slow. Our holiday guests just recently flew the coop, preschool has started back, and while I’m knee-deep in other responsibilities, I’m not trying to push myself in ALL areas of life just yet.

So I’ve been mulling over my choice for my word for 2014. Throughout December (and really, most of 2013), I was sure it would be “practice“. I loved the way it made me think last year when I decided to “practice” things. But I feel like I dropped “purpose” and adopted “practice” starting in February. And while I know there is more to be found in that word, “practice” just doesn’t seem to fit this year.

So I started looking for a new word.

I thought I had it. I even started a blog post all about it. But then, as seems to happen more and more, I thought I had picked something entirely different. I pondered my “faux” word for a whole day, and it felt right. I sat down to create a graphic for it, but when I went to upload it to the blog post, I realized it wasn’t the word I written about or planned to use at all. Oops.

But it still felt right.

So after a couple of false starts, I’ve found my word for 2014 – SLOW.

Last summer, as we moved into our new house the day before Husband started his intensive studying for The Big Test, as boxes sat unopened for weeks, as I became overwhelmed by all the projects I wanted to accomplish, Husband said:

I have thought of this phrase almost daily – when I want parenting to be easy and for behavior to be changed right this very second, when I want to know all the answers, when I want to see results in every area of all the things in the history of everything.

This year, I want to take things slowly. I want to take in the moments, to enjoy what’s happening right this very second.

I don’t want to miss being home with BB and BG, of enjoying them when they are still so little.

I don’t want to be rushing everywhere all the time.

I don’t want to keep forgetting things because I’m so busy.

I don’t want the focus of my days to be checking things off my lists.

And I don’t want to force things.

I want to let things happen in their own time.

I want to choose to stay home instead of running one more errand.

I want to actually read instead of saying I don’t have time to read.

I want to prepare meals slowly.

I want to take time to gather people around our table.

I don’t want to live faster and pretend that it’s better. I want to live more slowly and notice what is truly good.

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What about you? Do you make resolutions? Have you jumped on the One Little Word bandwagon? What are your goals or ideas for 2014? I’d love to hear.