Confession: I had an unusually hard time finding my word this year.

Typically, the word magically comes to me sometime in December and it's like an epiphany or a lightening strike. A word popped into my brain a few weeks ago, but it didn't feel quite right. It was somehow "off" or incomplete. So I had to peel back a few layers, reflect on 2024, and ask myself three important questions. If you're interested in finding a word for the year or feeling meh about your choice, maybe they'll help you too:

• "What was hard for me last year?"

• "What do I need this year?"

• "What is holding me back from what I want to achieve this year?"

Harmony is, by definition, "a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity." (Thanks, Dictionary.com.) As I kept harmony top of mind this year, I was reminded of two adages that are opposite sides of the same coin:

• Good is not the enemy of perfect.

• Some is better than none.

On our 11-hour journey back from Tennessee over the weekend, we listened to a "Road Trip" playlist. As a Jersey girl, I was delighted when Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi came on.

As I let my brain wander last week, I realized that what I really need in 2023 is CLARITY. I need to get BETTER at being purposeful with my time, my tasks, and my mindset. After all, choosing to truly unplug was indeed a choice I consciously made. So my word for the year is... INTENTION. It encompasses simplicity, manifesting the life I want, and being present. It's about the opposite of doing something because it's a habit but truly asking myself what I want to do and how I want to spend my time. It's about remembering my WHY for every little thing, big and small. It holds me accountable.