(January AuthorToolBoxBlogHop) Connecting the dots in 2019

When I was a kid I used to enjoy drawing lines between numbered dots and marveling at the way the image transformed in front of me. As I progressed to more advanced puzzles, I found that I often couldn't tell what the image would become until at least half-way through. It's recently occurred to me how similar our choices are to dots on a puzzle.

For me, this year is all about connecting those dots. My mantra, more specifically, is connect.

Have you ever attached your intention for the year to a single word? My first experiment with this exercise happened last year, in 2018. After having taken some serious down time from writing, I had set aside a lot of the personal goals and creative hobbies that I truly loved to focus on other areas of my life. This eventually became the new norm to the point where I even forgot how integral these had once been to my identity. Only once I realized the emptiness I was feeling from the lack of my creative passions could I understand how to solve the problem. Thus, my intention for 2018 became fulfillment.

After I established my word for the year, it's funny how so much changed. Writing became a priority again and I even began to pursue life-long goals I never thought I would. It's as though with every decision I asked myself if it aligned with my purpose for the year.

Now at the beginning of 2019, I find that while I have found much fulfillment in engaging with my goals and creative passions, some of them have begun to seem a bit like randoms dots that don't quite make sense in the greater picture.

So this year is about drawing the lines between the dots and discovering what they all mean together. I strongly believe that our lives don't have to fit a perfect mold and that it's admirable to pursue unrelated goals, but I'm also staying open to the possibility that I may not have solved the puzzle just yet. And that's okay too.

I realize this month's blog is not directly related to writing, but I'm hoping perhaps to inspire others in a similar position to reflect on their own goals for the year and maybe even create your own word. At least for me, writing is so connected to my mental wellness and I find that if I'm feeling insecure about my writing, it usually stems from an issue in my mindset that requires my attention.

So if you're like me and you're setting an intention for the year, what's your word for 2019?

https://raimeygallant.com/2017/03/22/authortoolboxbloghop/