In the past, I have taken time to look back over the year and take account of what has happened and what I have accomplished.
But this year, the thought of doing that was truly exhausting. I was barely getting through Christmas, nursing my sick husband and preparing for a trip and trying to find a cat sitter that I just couldn’t handle sitting down and thinking about the past year.
It’s been a blur.
What I can tell you is that we moved. I also traveled a bit for performances of my pieces, had more performances than in any previous year, and I got my graduate recital scheduled for the spring. I wrote a lot of music. I have not sat down to figure out how many pieces or minutes it totaled. A lot. Just a lot.
So, its New Year’s Eve, and instead of trying to make a list of everything that happened in 2024 and then publishing the list in 2025, I’ve decided that it’s better to write about my “word” for 2025.
Many people come up with a word that will act as a guide, a north star, through the coming year. For some, it is a mantra or, perhaps, something they wish to see manifested in the new year.
When I thought about it, the first word that popped into my head was “story.”
I’ve been hearing that word a lot, especially in the context of business advice. You need a story to connect with your audience.
The problem is, I’m not so great at telling stories.
When I was a kid, my sister would want me to play dolls with her. That was something I hated to do, mostly because I didn’t know how. It got to the point where I would hold a doll and she would tell me what to say, and I would repeat it. I couldn’t come up with the conversation on my own.
Somewhat-oblique poetry is more my speed.
Even now, I feel like the encouragement to “just talk” creates a deer-in-the-headlights situation for me. I freeze and no words come. I cannot think of anything someone else might be interested in, or how to say it.
Sure, given enough time I can come up with something. But it takes me longer to write a blog post than a page of a research paper.
However, I am convinced of the power of stories to connect people.
I have already begun telling stories to an extent through my podcast.
From time to time, I get frustrated with the podcast because it is time-consuming, and I have encountered numerous technical problems along the way which only add to the time involved and delays in releasing episodes. I feel like I am bumbling along this podcast route, and when I get discouraged, I wonder if it’s worth it.
That is when I remember the stories.
My guests’ stories are so valuable and so powerful, and I feel honored to be able to hear them and help send them out into the world, where they can do their magic building connection and community.
So, I continue and work to overcome the obstacles, because the stories are that important.
My mission in 2025 is to get better at telling stories – my own, and others’.
By “better” I mean:
I want to become more efficient in my writing and speaking so I can complete more blog posts and videos. I want to get to a point where writing and speaking on video feels more natural. I want to find it easier to come up with good ideas of what to talk or write about. I want to become more skilled in creating social media posts that best reflect the messages in those blogs and videos. I want to improve my engagement with people online through social media and email. I want to talk about my music and why it matters. I want to feel more at ease in situations like conferences, where I am meeting new people, so we can connect through shared stories.
My word for 2025 isn’t a resolution to start on January 1.
Those of you who follow me across social media platforms have probably noticed that I have begun doing some of these things already. Rather, my word is a public declaration of commitment to put concentrated effort into something I have already begun tiptoeing into.
I suppose you could say that I am giving my word to abide by my word.
Music may bring us together, but it is the stories that will keep us connected.
Happy New Year!
P.S., if you want to check out my podcast, find it here: http://www.themusickingcommunity.com