“I’m noticing the word ‘curiosity’ coming up a lot.” My therapist—in her ever-calm and relaxed tone—called this out about halfway through last week’s session. And while her observation made me self-conscious about my potential overuse of the word (I’m a writer, after all), it also made me smile. Lately, I’ve been leaning into the feeling of curiosity as a replacement to judgement, anxiety, and fear. Instead of criticizing my body’s changes post-eating disorder recovery, I’ve been getting curious about the ways I’m growing through my healing journey. Rather than looking at 2023 with fear of the unknown, I’m excited for the experiences and wisdom that are transforming me for the better. At the end of our conversation, I knew what my intention for the new year would be.
Whatever we call them—intentions, resolutions, or goals—the idea of challenging ourselves to change in some way at the start of the year is often met with resistance. This, I can only imagine, began to happen when we realized that “losing weight” and “go to the gym more” weren’t perhaps our own goals, but more a result of the societal pressure to make ourselves smaller and smaller each year.
Featured image of Mariana Velásquez by Belathée Photography.
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The New Year Intentions Our Editors Are Setting for 2023
At Camille Styles, we’ve recently shared thoughtful conversations about what it means to grow and set meaningful goals. I’m grateful to be surrounded by a team that understands that there are infinite ways we can become kinder, better people without focusing on appearance. Instead, our goals run the gamut. There are some who want to expand their sense of play and others who want to create more space for the people in their lives. You realize you’re lucky when those you work alongside every day are setting intentions that illuminate and inspire your own.
So on this celebratory day—and with under a week left before we step into another new year—we’re sharing all the new year intentions that are helping us identify what’s important and prioritize more joy and connection in our everyday lives.
Seek Out Novelty
The new year is hitting different for me this year after just getting married at the end of November. After a crazy-busy season, I’m feeling a different sense of excitement and renewal for what’s to come in 2023. My now-husband and I were chatting about the one thing we want to focus on as we embark on this new chapter together, and the concept that kept coming up for us both was novelty. We want to build new experiences into our routines, like trying a new restaurant or taking a film photography class together, and encourage one another to continue to operate outside of our comfort zones whenever possible. By seeking out brand-new, shared experiences together, we’ll be able to create lasting memories instead of falling victim to the daily grind. — Michelle, Executive Producer
Make Time for More Play by Finding a Hobby Outside of Work
2022 was incredibly fulfilling. I continued building a speaker series where I both curated the talks and interviewed some really cool humans. I’m so happy I get to continue to do that, but I’d love to nourish my mind in more ways that aren’t totally reliant on my performance and output. I’m craving a hobby that carries a little less weight and has absolutely nothing to do with work, though knowing me, I’ll find a way to magically connect it all in the end anyway! — Kelly, Contributing Editor
I’d love to nourish my mind in more ways that aren’t totally reliant on my performance and output.
Make Time for Connection With Friends and Family, Old and New
2022 was a year of massive transition for me between finally getting settled into my new city, starting a new job in a new industry, beginning grad school, and working on a lot of side projects. While I’m glad I took the time this year to focus and get my feet beneath me as I navigated a lot of new, this often meant not spending as much time as I would have liked focused on the relationships in my life and investing in relationships with people that I’m really excited to get to know. So in 2023, I want to be intentional about prioritizing time for connection-building with the people in my life. That will look like making space for catch-up calls, walk-and-talks with new friends, and simply being present when I’m with the people in my life. — Suruchi, Food Editor
Put More of My Work Effort Toward the Big Meaningful Things
Golly, do we ever stretch ourselves thin. Am I right? Near the end of 2022, I took inventory of how I was spending my workdays—minute-to-minute—and I was floored. Not only was I expending energy on extraneous things that didn’t warrant so much of my energy, I was putting effort toward many tasks that didn’t align with my values. This was, in turn, taking away from the big projects I really want to lean into, personally and professionally. In 2023, I’m going to better assess how I spend my time to ensure I’m not letting so much of my precious juice get robbed. This is a privilege, and one I may not be able to always follow through, but I believe just paying attention to it will result in more time and energy for things that grab my heart. Here’s hoping! — Stacey, Contributing Editor
Make Time for Curiosity and Creativity
I need a healthy dose of creative solitude to feel like my best self. Without adequate time to read, reflect, paint, dive into rabbit holes, and follow my curiosity, I feel like a shell of my usually vibrant self. And if I’m not protective of this solo time, my calendar will probably be full of things that bring me joy, but they won’t truly fill my cup. So this year, I’m preemptively blocking off time on my calendar and filling it with activities that stimulate and nurture my creativity. — Nihel, Social Media Manager
Cultivate a Greater Sense of Ritual in My Everyday Life
Like most people, I constantly fall in and out of routine. While I give myself the grace to do so, I also know how important it is that I practice routines to help me feel grounded in my life. This intention will involve doing an audit of my days and routines and gaining a deeper understanding of what truly feels supportive for me. — Isabelle, Managing Editor
Practice Deeper Listening With My Kids
I believe that the way we show up and really listen to others is a direct reflection of how important they are to us—and it’s one of the clearest ways we can communicate to someone else that we love and value them. However, when life gets busy, I can fall into a habit of half-listening when my kids are telling me about their day or some crazy story (that seems to go on and on). In 2023, when I’m in conversation with my kids, I want to intentionally hit pause on everything else (including my phone) and let them know through eye contact and authentic questions that they’re the most important priority in that moment. — Camille, Editor-in-Chief
Be the Most Encouraging Person in the Room
Between my husband losing his grandparents and my own Papa’s passing in 2022, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on legacy. How can I honor these incredible men and women who left such an impact on our lives? My Papa was an encourager. He could reach the soul of a person within minutes of meeting them because he genuinely cared—and listened with his full self. I want to carry on his legacy with the practice of putting the spotlight on others. I’ve found a really tangible way to achieve this by changing my mindset from, “What is everyone thinking about me/my work/what I’m wearing/what I said,” etc. to “How can I encourage someone?” The unexpected bonus is the lightness I feel where anxiety used to roam free. Isn’t that something? — Brittany, Content Marketing Director
Maintain Healthy Boundaries
I’ve always been a ‘yes’ person. Actually, more like a resounding, YES! While it often feels like it’s feeding my soul to maintain a positive outlook—to be that girl always up for an adventure and ready to tackle anything head on—my goal for 2023 is to pause, think, and really evaluate before immediately agreeing to something that I know deep down, I’m more of a so-so on. This healthy boundary will hopefully create space in my day and in my heart to allow for spontaneity and self-care. Now that’s something worth saying yes to. — Anne, Contributing Editor
Create a Routine to Feel More Grounded
The past year felt like an intense game of catch-up. I felt like I was constantly running backwards on a treadmill. Seeing friends and family for the first time in years, traveling a ton and becoming a reluctant expert at red-eye flights, all while settling into a new city. Explaining this to a friend, she told me: “yeah, your energy has been giving… unmoored.” So 2023 is about feeling moored. More aptly, it’s about cultivate a sense of groundedness. Part of that means staying put, physically. But mostly I’m trying to create routines not just for routine’s sake, but to carve out intentional moments of stillness in my day. Maybe I’ll finally get into meditation, or maybe I’ll buy one of those rose quartz masks or sauna blankets. We’ll see where the year (and my Instagram ads) takes me. — Langa, Beauty Editor
I’m trying to create routines not just for routine’s sake, but to carve out intentional moments of stillness in my day.
Establish a Healthy Relationship With My Mind, Body, and Soul
After a year where I gained a lot of wisdom in terms of my relationship with my body, I’ve set a strong foundation for how I want to treat myself. 2023 will look like me diving deeper—exploring what feels good for every element of my being. I want to nurture my mind with positive thoughts that propel me forward and connect with a faith system that honors my loving perception. — Isabelle, Managing Editor
Take More Breaks During the Workday to Move My Body and Get Re-Energized
I’ve fallen into some bad habits of powering through a busy workday without taking breaks—and the result is a feeling of exhaustion at the end of the day that comes from sitting at my desk and staring at a screen for too long. Research shows that getting up and moving at regular intervals actually increases our energy and helps us be more creative. So next year I’m making it a point that at least three days a week, I’m adding a 30-minute break to my afternoon schedule for a pilates or yoga virtual class. — Camille, Editor-in-Chief