While the ball dropped and fireworks sparkled, our calendars rolled over from 2023 to 2024 and the inevitable question was raised: What’s your New Year’s Resolution?

I’ve joked a bit that my only resolution is not to get pregnant again, and fortunately I’ve already taken care of that courtesy of an IUD I had inserted the moment I was able to. But, really, I don’t have one. I never do.

You see, last January, I had a pretty clear idea how my year was going to go. I had a six-figure salary at a tech startup and a fantastic workout regime that I followed. We were looking at vacation destinations for a family and discussing the possibility of a “just us” trip to reconnect as a couple following a year in the trenches with our newest addition. But, two short weeks after S blew out his first candle, we had a surprise positive pregnancy test. A couple of months later, I lost my job. And within two weeks, I had launched amPR inc. and was just hoping to keep my head above water financially.

I couldn’t have foreseen that I’d out-earn my previous salary within the first two months of my business. All while pregnant.

Holy. Shit.

All of this to say, I know that sometimes we outgrow goals and resolutions faster than we could ever achieve them. And for that reason, I don’t lock myself to something fixed. Instead, I’m focusing on growth by adopting a word for my year.

My 2024 Word of the Year? It’s Peace.

Why? Because I spent a lot of 2023 trying to make peace with things.

Like a surprise pregnancy that I didn’t know how to handle. Like a surprise job loss that rocked my confidence. Like the uncertainty and fear of building a business while pregnant. Like the rocky final weeks of pregnancy that all but sidelined me in my own friggin’ life.

In the end, 2023 was the best year of my life. It’s the year my family became whole. The year I learned exactly how strong and capable I am. The year I made my dream of having my own PR and Marketing agency come to life.

As a mom and entrepreneur, I make a lot of choices. In 2024, I’ll make every decision based on my word: peace. Will I be at peace with this decision? Am I protecting my peace? Does this contribute to peace and harmony for my life, my family, my business?

As a mom and entrepreneur, my time is at a premium. In 2024, I won’t get wrapped up in the disruptive forces that too often ruled my life last year. But, I also won’t give into them just to keep the peace because someone else wants the status quo.

As a mom and entrepreneur, I’ll continue to manifest peace in my life and just hope that Elliot eventually learns that peace includes a good night of sleep…