A few years ago, I gave up on the idea of New Year's resolutions. I never kept them. Sometimes that was because my goals were unrealistic, but usually it was because I forgot what they were. I replaced the resolution habit with a new one: a word--one word--that would guide me through the year as a motto or a theme.

The first year I did this, in 2012, I chose the word enjoy. At the end of the year, I was able to make a long list of things I enjoyed. The next year, last year, I chose the word strive, and boy, oh, boy, did I end up doing a lot of striving.

That experience led me to think very carefully about the word that would guide me through 2014. I thought about my hopes and goals and plans for the year. I thought about what I'd like to make a long list of at the end of the year, what I'd like to end up doing a lot of this year. I asked myself what word would best describe what I'd be doing during the year, anyway.

And that's how I ended up at my decision. My word for 2014 is:

seek

This year I am seeking:

• a better balance between work and life
• to fill the parts of my life that feel empty
• to improve my self-care habits (eating, exercising, housekeeping, etc.)
• the time, energy, and space to finish Draft 3 of the novel
• the courage and skills to start querying literary agents
• the time and resources to fix up my house so I can sell it (eventually)

What are you seeking this year?