Sunday, December 30, 2012

My Intentions for 2013

This year more than ever, I feel the need to set a clear intention for the New Year. I am not sure whether it is the uncertainty of not working or the influence of Susannah Conway's Unravelling 2013 (This is a really useful process that has helped me review the last year; the sweet times and the challenges. I highly recommend this free workbook)

2012 was a mixed bag for me; some amazing adventures in our big trip to Europe, some great learnings both in my print class at Kuringgai Art Centre and writing classes at the NSW Writers Centre but also on-line. I have dabbled in several classes but my favourite eclasses have been those run by Susannah Conway- I love her style.

So looking back at 2012 my words for the year if it was going to be a book title would be something like "Delve, Discover and Dissolve" or "The Year I lost my way". Whilst there were many great things about this year, my health issues (including DVT in Morocco and the consequent depressive reaction I had for several months when I returned home, a swollen knee from doing exercise that took over a month to resolve, a mysterious electric pain in my jaw that lasted for a painful three weeks) as well as my resorting to old behaviours of over-eating and over-drinking to compensate leading to weight gain and more misery.

Somehow, the thing that resonates most with me about 2012 is my desperation about keeping control, my stress about uncertainty and ultimately my inability to go with the flow. OK so these have been issues that have been part of me all my life but suddenly in my year of transition- the year after we sold our business when I was supposed to "discover" myself and find my "inner creative", I have struggled. My anxiety created a lot of stress and at times, I felt quite lost.  

Towards the end of 2012, I realised that I am still grieving for our business, for my work role, for a structure that gave me meaning and so the word for 2013 that kept popping into my head was "Relinquish". Time to relinquish my micro-managing control, lose the kilos that I have gained and let go of my old patterns for dealing with stress and relating to the world.

The more I thought about "Relinquish" it only felt half right. I also want to take on board some new patterns and new behaviours so another word "Embrace" also resonated with me. I want to embrace writing- part of my strategy for letting go of our business is to write about it, what worked, what didn't, what we learned, embrace new exercise routines; a series of injuries have made my favourite exercise routines like running and gym classes more strain than help and I want to embrace my new view of myself in the work world, without the title of business manager and owner..I also want to embrace a role that will give back, so I have started looking for voluntary work where I can use my skills to help others...and in the spirit of letting go I want to embrace some playfulness, spontaneity and flow.

But more than anything else, I want to "Create". I want to create more beautiful quilts, create a healthy and energetic body, create a lifestyle that I love, create a new work role.

So I have three words for 2013- Relinquish, Embrace and Create.. somehow they are all related and interlinked. What is your word or three for 2013?

Sunset Lord Howe Island 2009




3 comments:

  1. Well written, Jenny. My three words are: Presence, Compassion and Abundance. Happy New Year to you.

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  2. Having heard you speak your intentions for 2013 in person Jen, it was great to see them written in your blog and understand through your writing more of the complexities of your transitions and adventures in 2012. In my creative journey I often feel that transition is a constant, as the challenge of creativity is relentless. And it can certainly be quite exhausting, but rewarding. May we be forever emerging artists!

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