Gretchen Rubin, author of  The Happiness Project, suggests that we select one word as our theme for a new year. Until this year, I’ve not taken the trouble. In 2013, my word will be Stretch.

It applies in so many ways: literally, for as I have aged I have gotten increasingly creaky, particularly in the morning. Born  limber,  (I can still kick higher than my head, although now I think it is only responsible to do so with one hand on a chair or other support- not a brag-worthy skill if you break a hip doing it, right?) I want to stay that way as long as possible, and taking a few moments to do some yoga poses every morning can only help.

Stretch applies almost every where else. Right here in this very blog, for instance. I want to post more frequently. I want to take the time to  make my posts more interesting, adding links to other content, and including some of my own photos. This should not be a painful stretch.

Stretch also means trying more and trying harder. It means finishing some projects and starting some new ones. It means reaching out to more people. It means having more fun. It really means leaving my teeny little comfort zone and not focusing on what could go wrong or what other people think,  but on what I want. Because a lot of the time, I don’t really know what that is. 2013 is the year I aim to find out.

Stretch.