Hello, 2014

Most people have their New Year's resolutions and goals figured out by the first day of the year but I tend to take my time in preparing for the new year. I don't do resolutions but I do set goals and choose a word for the year. Usually, it takes me a little while to figure it out. I like to play around with ideas, look at them from different angles and make sure it's the right fit.

So here we are, 7 days after the start of the new year and I've finally decided on my word.

Just to go back a bit, in 2012, my word was commit. It was the beginning of our second year in Australia and I had to decide if I was going to spend the next three years floating through life, or if I was going to really put my roots down and commit to being present and building relationships. I decided to commit and that was the real beginning of our lives in Australia.

My word for 2013 was embrace and we definitely seized every single moment of last year and squeezed every drop of goodness out of it. We went on more (road) trips, spent more time with people, tried more new things, learned more about us as a family and just really embraced life.

This year, we'll be facing a lot of change and uncertainty so I want a word that says light and strength. So after a week of tossing around ideas and mulling over words, I've finally decided that my word for 2014 will be brave.

I will be brave in trying new things, pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, accepting things I cannot change and in navigating through our (yes, our) final year of med school. I'm excited and scared to see what comes next, but this year, I will be brave.