Persevere is my Word of the Year

I sat in my living room embracing a moment of calm and quiet.  The toddler is asleep.  I close my eyes and thought about what would be my ONE WORD to represent me, my business, and my path this year.  

Many words flowed through my mind.  "Abundance, gratitude, allow, grace..."  But the word PERSEVERE just kept coming back.  Taking center stage of my mind.  

PERSEVERE: defined as "steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success"

The difficulty?  Finding a balance between motherhood, working part-time as a nanny and effectively working at growing my business.  

Steadfastness?  I have to learn to quiet those external things that tend to bring me down.  (The national news, cold Minnesota days with no sunshine in sight, the climbing rent, and expenses...you get the idea).  

I started this journey of Aprilierre in 2010.  Sometimes I feel I should be further along than I am but one thing I am proud of...I have persevered.  This is one craft I love.  I love designing and making beautiful jewelry.  I also love the writing that comes with running a business.  I don't love the gritty details of accounting and some of the other aspects running a business require but I haven't stopped.  Instead this year I am doing something different.  I am no longer alone with figuring out how to effectively run a jewelry business.  I found a wonderful online community called Flourish and Thrive Academy which offers support and valuable information catered to the jewelry business. I am taking the big leap this year and working one on one with coaches.  

I look forward to what I will learn this year and to truly connect with my customers and to continue to grow and provide lovely handmade jewelry for you to enjoy. 

What is your ONE word this year?