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Have you ever wondered- whats the hullabaloo about WOTY each year, so many people writing posts about it, is it just another of those trends, does it even matter after a few days have passed?

I wrote my first WORY post for 2022 , it was Gratitude and one year down the line I can truly feel the significant difference of having embraced this in my life. Using an app to write down just one line each day (I did it and continue to do it religiously at-least 25 days of the month) has been a blessing. It has made me appreciate the little joys of life, for an enriching life is not just about the big moments but soaking in the joy and allowing oneself to feel the angst of the the little mundane moments too and find happiness and solace in our everyday life, look for it.

While I will continue to consciously practise Gratitude, for 2023 I have chosen Calm as my WOTY.

Does this mean I am thinking of going down the spiritual way? Mediate? My Instagram will no longer have pictures of cocktails and new hangouts, instead expect to see me in a serene pose meditating under a tree. Too cliched I know! But none of these to be honest are what I mean by invoking a sense of calm in life in 2023. Calm for me would be:

A conscious attempt to train my mind to “Pause” and enjoy the journey rather than focus on the destination. I am a goal oriented person and thrive in setting milestones for myself and achieving them. Thats a good trait to possess however as I have often experienced in the past when outcomes take longer to achieve than the desired time limit one has set and it leads to anxiety, I have found myself worrying more than needed and focusing so much on hitting that goal that the journey which is an integral part, gets left behind. And when I do reach the destination, maybe a tad late, its not often that euphoric joy that I anticipated I would experience. Infact the little moments on the path are what come back to me as sweet memories to be treasured. And this is why I want to calm down my mind , make a conscious attempt to Pause and revel in the moments that matter. The little joys.

I would love to imbibe the practise of meditation some day as a few people I know have sworn by the sense of peace and calm it evokes. But a part of me feels I have a chaotic mind, I am always thinking of something to do, tick off a list , meet people over the weekend, dig into a new book, go for a walk , workout if I have those 30 minutes of time. This chaotic mind also needs things to work a certain way, in order, prim and proper , the house, my work table , my wardrobe to be arranged methodically. At times and it often happens with a 8 year old kiddo, it gets messy. Plans go for a toss. I would like to be calm in such situations, well calmer to be honest than what I am now. Calmer when it comes to my family for I feel thats surely something I need to fix in myself. So here’s an affirmation to taking 3 deep breaths and fighting to stay calm.

One thing I did less of in 2022 was trekking. My mom is an avid trekker and though I got introduced to the mountains late in life, I feel a sense of calm and tranquility which is so deep that it stays with me so much after I have spent time with nature. I would like to experience this much more this year and I hope I can influence Angel to develop a love for the mountains.

I would also need to calm my nerves as I look to tick off “swimming” from my bucket list. I can swim but really bad , I struggle for breath and am usually in a panic mode under water, trying to get the task of getting to the other end of the pool, done. Its not fun at all and its not how swimming is meant to be. So this summer I have resolved to enroll myself for swimming lessons and I will need every ounce of courage and a calm mind to see this through.

While these may not relate to calm directly- I would like to :

• Continue my fitness journey with the same fervour as 2021 an 2022, both have been fab years. I took up badminton in the last one month as a fun sport and as alternative to working out to introduce some variety and am thoroughly enjoying it. My game has improved , I have a long way to go and I would like to pursue this journey with vigour in 2023
• I made new friends, revived certain old bonds in 2022, and had a fantastic time meeting people from different walks of life, talking about our stories , diverse topics. I also let go of some relationships as they no longer evoked joy and it was time to bade good bye. I hope to work towards cherishing the ones that matter and making a genuine attempt to stay in touch as thats what helps relationships thrive and I hope I have the wisdom to let go where needed in 2023.
• I would like to explore new places , travel to the mountains this year, trek while travelling all with an 8 year old who loves to sleep on vacations- this is going to be a challenge but lets see how we get there
• I would like to continue fire-blazing at work
• I would like to read more books and write more , I would not set a target on this as I do not intend to cut down on any of my other activities , setting a target will only make it more arduous and a tick the box exercise which will not help invoke the joy I derive from these, thus a conscious attempt to do more of both this year.

So there it is, a sense of calm amidst chaos, more love, trying out things that get me jittery, closer to nature here’s my bucket list for 2023. Whats yours?