2023 Word of the Year – Liska Living

Hi, friends!

A couple years ago I remember fashion blogger queen Brittany Sjogren from Loverly Grey sharing that she has a word of the year that she strives to encapsulate every year. That really resonated with me, because, personally, I don’t really like New Year’s Resolutions. I feel like they don’t really ever work for me. But a word that is meant to signify a concept or feeling or even a way of life was something that was broader and seemed more achievable.

So last year, in about April or May, I opted to do this. I had been feeling really lost in life. I joked with my husband that I was having “a 1/3 life crisis.” We had been talking intensely about whether or not we were going to have a third child, which we after MUCH consideration, we decided not to. I felt like so many people I knew were having 3 kids and I wasn’t there but I felt like I might be failing at life and as a mom if I couldn’t do that (that’s a whole other blog post I’ll get to some day). I was also really unhappy with my very part-time job. Like, dreaded every time I had to go in and complained the whole week leading up to it and the whole day after. I saw people in my PT class who seemed to be just thriving in their careers and making names for themselves and I found myself feeling envious. Not of their success (kudos to them!), but just how it seemed they KNEW what they wanted. I haven’t felt that way. I’ve loved lots of my jobs and lots of parts of my job, but felt stagnant and just didn’t have a drive for anything specific. In June, my husband was promoted and was going to be traveling more, so I opted to step away from my career and focus on being a full-time mom. I was happy to do it, but after a few months, I found myself struggling a bit, having no outlet for myself anymore. I was home all the time, my husband was home and seemed to have hobbies and things he was doing as an outlet. I just felt LOST.

When I decided on my word, I just knew I needed to figure out something for ME. So I chose the word “thrive.” At first, I tried selling some products that I really loved (and still do), but it didn’t feel authentic and I didn’t love it. But, it gave me a little more confidence to be on screen and let more people into my life in a different way. During that time, I had seen several Instagram stories of people I followed, and other just random posts/videos people shared, that seemed to be telling me to be brave and do something I had been wanting to do, but didn’t have the courage to do. But the thing that tipped it over the edge, was a story that none-other than Brittany Sjogren had posted. I responded to her story about it striking a chord with me, and she responded and told me I should go for it (I still have the screen shot saved)! And that, my friends, is how Liska Living started. And to be honest, it has been AWESOME! I am SO glad I did it. I get to do something I love, share things I love, and communicate with people from all over! And, no, I really don’t make much money from the things I share. But I don’t care. It’s just nice to have something for ME!

SO, that was super long-winded, but I felt it necessary to get some of the background before I share this year’s word. And it’s possible it might change or develop over the course of the year, but the word I’m going with this year is “maximize.” I feel like this can apply to so many aspects of my life! For instance, maximizing space in my home and simplifying what’s in my home. Another big one I’m working on – maximizing my time. Really thinking about how I’m spending my time and what I should be prioritizing in a day. Finally, I want to maximize what I do with my blog/Instagram page and my growth in that space. I could go on, but you get the idea…

What do you think? Does a Word of the Year sound more achievable to you, too? I encourage you to take part with me! Challenge yourself to really think about some things that have either been causing you stress, joy, an area you would like to pursue, whatever! But that’s part of the reason I like this — it really forces me to think about the last year and the direction I want things to go in my life. I would love you to share in the comments if you decide to join and what word you choose! I’ll add some inspiration below ❤️