Sometimes when I’m asked a profound question I just blurt out the answer.

My own voice surprises myself. 

Then the longer I think about it and can give 10 other answers, then I think “Ya, ok I’ll go with the first answer”.

That is what happened to me this year when I was picking my word for the year.

This is a process I delight in – I love words! It’s a big deal.

The year I chose “brave” was marked with some decisions that would not have happened if that voice in the back of my mind weren’t urging me to pick the brave opportunity. It wasn’t always comfortable but the choices were indeed brave.

Last year I chose “collaborative”. Even in a pandemic, opportunities to collaborate were game changing. The collaborative choice, both personally and professionally, always came up with the game changing “stretch” opportunity.

Like brave, collaborative wasn’t always the easy choice. The actions these words inspired become part of my story and I carry them forward.

My smart, sassy, impromptu answer  this year was “lower your expectations.” I had a “who said that, did I really say that out loud moment?” Who was I kidding? I’m a raise-the-bar, farther, faster kind of gal.

But damn the answer persisted. And I did my best to resist.

I thought back to my perfectly planned 2020, complete with vision board, which by mid- March was eye candy, nothing more. (But super nice eye candy.)

Maybe there was something to this gut reaction.

Lowering expectations felt quite freeing not defeatist.

Central to how I would define the concept was the idea of releasing the need for an outcome. 

It’s a raw answer that is deeply invested in creativity and curiosity and felt like an invitation to keep growing.

Show up, ship it, give the benefit of the doubt. However you want to say it, lowering your expectations says, “this might not be perfect but I’m pushing forward. Please love me anyway.”

So 2021, I’m pushing forward. I’ve got exciting plans for you but likely you have exciting plans for me too. I’m ready and open.

Where does your mind go if you release expectations?

What might your word be for 2021?