The One Thing I'm Doing in 2019

For the past 4 years I’ve picked one word as my focus for the year (I wrote an entire blog post on it here). It's the one thing I make sure I do. Oh sure, I’ve tried the long lists, the goals, the resolutions, the different categories, the breaking it all down and setting a timeline, but for me they were all overwhelming. The one word idea simplifies.

It’s a way for me to have a guide, a direction, and a focus for what I want the new year to be. I think of what I want for the coming year, what I want to focus on and pursue and have my days be about. The one word is an umbrella that everything else falls under. I can wake up each morning saying “How am I going to (one word) today?” and when I go to bed at night I can ask myself, “Did I (one word) today?” There's a clear yes or no answer and I'm able to pursue the year I've envisioned for myself.

This is my 4th year choosing one word as my new year theme and it’s so much fun to see what my years have been like and how they’ve been influenced by my one word. Not only am I intentionally living each day, I’m able to look back on a year of life and remember what I was going through and what it was like because of the one word.

2018: Create

2017: Focus

2016: Go. Do

I’ve been thinking about my 2019 one word since November. I was confident I had my word picked out, I’d even decided on it for a solid 2 weeks. And then suddenly, wham, a different word hit me and I knew I needed to change it. Right then and there I made the shift and I knew it was a good one.

And so, I present to you my 2019 word.

Present. I want to be present in 2019.

I want to be exactly where I am. I want to listen and feel and touch and be and be grateful and be right here.

With the online business, I’ve seen more and more the effect screen time has had on my being present. It’s not good. I’m constantly think of what to post next, what to write about, how much more I could be doing, what everyone else is doing. I find myself comparing myself and my work to others and my brain is often in a different word.

I’m tired of it. Like actually sick of it. It’s not fair to Scott (whose love language is quality time) nor is it fair to me. I’m constantly missing out on my now life while I’m trying to build something great for the future.

And so, choosing present was pretty obvious. It's a way for me to continue navigating the online world while being in the moment.

I plan to be more present in 4 ways:

Limiting screen time. We’ve already put this in to action by keeping phones out of our bedroom and having a cut off time at night but I want to continue to carry this in to 2019.
Working ahead and having a schedule. A lot of what I do is online but most of it can be pre-planned. I’m really looking forward to finding a system that works for me and automating a lot more of my business.
Keep building the online business. The online world and passive income gives us the flexibility we want with work and our lives and is going in a direction that allows us to be more present.
Sharing 1 thing I’m grateful for every day. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see I share a quote on my story almost every day. This year I’m going to be sharing something I’m grateful for each day using #365gratefuldays. (Join me on this if you’d like!)

So there you have it. My one word I’m excited to make my 2019 about.

If you haven’t done the one word yet, I highly, highly suggest giving it a try. Read my other blog post to see more about it!

Here’s some words I’ve seen others choose in the past:

Connected

Listen

Better

Time

Prepared

Zest

Yes

Compromise

Balance

I’m so excited and curious to know what your one word for 2019 is! Be sure to comment on this post, send me an email hello@todoandhopper.com or tag me on Instagram, @steph.castelein!

Cheers my friend. And here’s to being more present, every moment in 2019.

Steph

PS: Gearing up for some great photos this year? Check out the Moment Lens, we take ours everywhere. It's easy to attach to your phone and takes your photos to another level. Check it out here!