Word of the Year: Pattern

Guess what's in the box! Curious? I'll show you below, but first, a little backstory...

Last year I chose a "word of the year" for the first time, and was pleasantly surprised to see how it played out across my life in both intentional and unexpected ways. I declared:

I’m aiming for focus: to stay on top of my goals, to minimize mental and
physical clutter, and to enjoy the here and now with my family and friends.

I envisioned hard and fast business goals, weeding of junk, ​and being present with family, and to be honest, I prioritized in that order: work, home, family. In the end, I did declutter (#konmari devotee!), which led to a cleaner, more organized house here in Kansas than we ever pulled off back in Maine, which led to more presence when focusing on my kids, less mental clutter, and lowered stress. So what didn't happen? The hard and fast business goals. But what did I discover? That it's okay with me, yet I'm finding more and more time for sewing anyway simply by having a tidier house and happier kids! Order and calm begets a better physical and mental space for creativity - who would've thought?! ; )

So over the holidays I did some brainstorming and one word really jumped out at me:

Now that I've started routines to keep clutter to a minimum and focus on my kids when they need it most, I'm happier and more productive. I like it. I want to keep repeating it. It's been a bit of a struggle with my husband away and my kids getting sick or teething almost nonstop, but those hurdles are almost behind me, and I want to dedicate myself to keeping a reliably organized home, a regular date night, a habitual workout, a planned time for friends, and a steady (albeit slower and less lucrative than I originally envisioned) business path. I want a lot of consistency after a few years of constant change, and of all the words related to this, one really stands out because of its double meaning: 

 I want 2016 to be the year I adhere to a PATTERN of routines for myself
that allow me to be a better wife, mom, friend, and business owner.

(And in THAT order. I finally seem to have my priorities straight!) But I also want something else - something I've toyed with in the back of my mind for years without acting upon:

I want 2016 to be the year I publish my first SEWING PATTERN. ​

So this is what's in the box: a "pattern" charm to keep my intention close at hand all year! I'd planned to add it to the similar focus charm that was strung alongside my children's initials, but that necklace disappeared just last week. Fortunately I have this adorable, rarely worn sewing machine to pair it with, and do you know what? I think it's fate. Somehow the thing most relevant to my word keeps presenting itself to me.

Do you word-of-the-year? Do you have an intention for the year ahead?
​Do you create something unique to remind you of your focus?

~ Sarah

P.S. My anuual 4x7 Sewing Challenge kicks off on January 31st!

I'll be announcing more details this coming week, but here's the info you need to start planning if you want to join me for a month of selfish sewing!