Defining the Year with 20/20 VISION

Every year, instead of ‘resolutions’ I choose a word to define my intention for that year. In 2019, my word was ‘connection’ and in the course of 12 months I deepened my friendships, had powerfully heartfelt conversations with strangers with that gave birth to new relationships, became closer with extended family than I have been in years, and created a community that has enriched life in ways I didn’t know possible. 

One of the most meaningful endeavors I’ve had the fortune to be a part of is working as a mentor coach for at-risk youth, primarily with teenagers that aren’t eligible for foster care. The majority of the kids have been placed in a state-run lock-down facility program due to severe cases of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. I entered the program thinking I was there to give back, and was quickly humbled to learn that what these young people offered was the true gift, and I the blessed recipient. Witnessing their capacity for growth is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and has inspired me to give more, love more, be more, do more.

Each day, opportunity awaits. Every person we interact with, event we attend, bite we take, word we speak, sentence we read invites change and is a catalyst for growth. Think about it: who you are tomorrow will never be exactly the same person as you are right now. Between those spaces, you will have read something, spoken with someone, experienced something that will expand you in a way that however slight, is irreversible.  

Just like the kids I mentor that are rising above their history, present circumstance, and carving out the person they want to be day by day through their direct efforts and actions, we too have the same opportunity. We decide how we show up in every moment of every day, our choices stitching the color that collectively weaves the tapestry of our life.

So I ask: what do you want to create? What do you want your life to look like? Being specific, think about your ideal day, your ideal partner, your ideal love, your ideal career. Close your eyes and envision yourself there, living that reality. 

Our choices define our lives. Being as intentional with what we say we say ‘yes’ to as what we say ‘no’ to may cost us present comforts, old ways of being, nights out, and fleeting savory highs. Consider this permission to choose only actions that are in alignment with your vision and to unapologetically say ‘no’ to everything that isn’t. 

Small efforts, made consistently in excellence, have a major impact.

Now ask yourself: what is one small step you can take today that will propel you in the direction of creating the life you want to live? One small change towards becoming the person you want to be?

Want to write a book? One page a day and this time next year you’ll have a 365 page working first draft. 

Cheers to a new decade, defining our year with meaningful choices and and creating the lives of our wildest dreams.

Xo