Bridging the gap between the person we are and the person we want to be

At the beginning of the year I was inspired to do something different from making a New Year’s resolution.  I was given a Word Of The Year workbook with prompts to select a word that would guide me through the year.  In this workbook were some really wonderful questions that cultivated deep thinking about my actions, my priorities, what I want to achieve, and who I want to be in the year ahead.  In January, I spent two days working through the answers, ultimately landing on a word that has so far proven to be the North Star I didn’t know I needed.  

In that workbook was one question that made a long-lasting impression on me.

“What are you currently devoted to?”

I wrote a list of answers that felt good. Things like… 

Writing
Exercising
Healthy eating

Only to later realize that those are the things I want to be devoted to.  When I asked myself what I’m actually devoted to, I cringed.  Things like…

YouTube
Texting
Snacks

This was when I realized a hard truth, my actions were not reflecting my so-called priorities.  You can say something is a priority until you’re blue in the face but your actions are the only way to make that true.  

I ended up choosing Align for my word of the year.  I want this to be the year that I align the person I am with the person I say I want to be.  For too many years I’ve said I want to write more but rarely take the time to do so.  Every time we’re in Mexico I say with conviction that I’m going to learn Spanish, only to return to the States and forget all about it.  

“Action expresses priority.”

Gandhi

There was something about the word “devoted” that made me think long and hard about how I’m spending my time.  While on a walk one day I asked myself, would you want your headstone to read “A woman devoted to her phone?”.  That hurt.  Ever since, I’ve been working towards a healthier relationship with my devices, among other things.

And in several places, where I will see them often, I’ve made notes that state the three things I choose to be devoted to in 2024.  I’ve built a morning routine around those things, a routine that feels like I’m honoring the person I want to be rather than compulsively reacting to the tug of technology.  

I believe there is a lot of value in asking yourself these questions:

-What is important to you?
-What are you currently devoted to?  

And then analyzing the answers to see how you can bridge the gap.  

Make the time for the things that are important to you.  No one is going to do that for you.  Nor will there ever be a day when you’re magically gifted a clear schedule, an empty to-do list, or more hours in the day.  It takes many small steps in the right direction to become the person you want to be or to realize the dream you’ve long had.  Sitting down and writing for 20 minutes every morning, no matter what kind of gibberish hits the page, puts me on track to becoming the writer I want to be in a way that only hoping for that thing never will.

I’m learning that small, attainable devotions can lead to beautiful outcomes. What could you devote 20, 30 or 40 minutes of your time to that could get you closer to being the person you want to be?

Inspiration and workbook for the Word of the Year provided by Nicole Antoinette, writer of Wild Letters on Substack.