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Welcome to the Miko Love Podcast. I'm your host, Kameeko Love. And when I'm not educating about personal finance as the budget mom, I'm here diving into the exploration of my own passions and exploring a range of captivating topics. It's time to dive into conversations that ignite curiosity and inspire. Hello and welcome to the Miko Love Podcast. I'm your host, Kameeko Love. And if you are new here to the podcast, welcome. I am so glad you are here.

Now this is a special episode. is my first bonus episode. Season two of the Meekaluv podcast officially kicks off in March and I can't wait to bring you more amazing content and inspiring stories. But for now, I want to take a moment to kind of reflect and prepare for the year ahead. Now I could not, absolutely could not go until March without doing some type of New Year podcast episode.

And as we step into a brand new year, I wanted to sit down with you and kind of share a tradition that I absolutely love. And that's picking out a word for the year. Now, if you're not familiar with this concept, it's a simple but really powerful practice. So instead of making like this long list of resolutions, some people choose one word that really becomes their focus, their anchor, their guide for the entire year.

It's really less about having these lofty goals and more about the mindset you want to cultivate. And let me tell you, this practice can be really transformative. So in today's episode, I'm going to talk about why I chose my word for 2025, which is consistency. I'll also share a bit about how this word resonates really deeply with me.

and how I plan to incorporate it into different areas of my life and how you can choose a word that might help guide you on your own journey. Plus, I'm going to touch on some popular words people choose and why having a word for the year can be so beneficial. So let's dive in. First things first, let's talk about the tradition itself. So picking a word for the year has become pretty popular

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over I would say the last decade and for good reason. Instead of creating a list of goals that often feel very overwhelming or hard to stick to, this practice offers a more holistic approach. Your word becomes a lens through which you view the entire year, your actions and even your mindset. So think about it. Resolutions often focus on what to do.

lose weight, save money, get organized. But a word focuses on who you are or who you want to become. It's a subtle shift, but a really powerful one. By choosing a single word, you're giving yourself a theme for the year, something that keeps you grounded and helps you stay intentional. Some people choose words like balance, growth, peace.

courage or focus. These words act as gentle reminders. When life gets hectic or when old habits try to creep back into your life, they serve as a compass, helping you navigate both the highs and the lows of life. So let's talk about my word for 2025, which is consistency. As we approach the new year, I've chosen this word to focus on. It's not

just a word for me. It's a commitment to myself. Consistency for me is that quiet force behind every success. It's the foundation for lasting change. It's the thread that weaves together growth and progress. Now I chose this word because I've seen what happens when I let inconsistency take the wheel.

plans unravel, momentum stalls, and I'm felt feeling stuck. But I've also experienced the power of consistent effort even in small ways. Those moments have shown me that real change doesn't come from grand gestures or perfect execution. It comes from the simple act of doing over and over and over again.

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And there are so many examples in my life where consistency has really allowed me to do or to be at places I never thought were possible. For example, just yesterday, I posted it on my Instagram stories, just yesterday, I was able to make and bake six loaves of sourdough bread at one single time. So I had this huge ginormous tote.

that I mixed all of my dough in, which I've never made that much dough at one time for six loaves. It was a lot. So that was scary. But when I got finished baking them and they all turned out so wonderful, it was actually my New Year's gift to all my neighbors was homemade sourdough bread. I remember just last year when I started my sourdough journey, I didn't even think I could make one good loaf of sourdough bread.

And here I am a year later making six to 10 loaves at a time. When I started my running journey, really picking that up last year, I remember when I signed up for my first 10 K and how nervous I was, how I doubted myself. And exactly one year later, this year, I'm running half marathons for training, consistent, small actions got me from one end

to the other. Consistency matters because it's what transforms intention into action and action into ginormous results. It's what helps us build trust with ourselves, proving that we can follow through on our promises. It's not about perfection. It's really about persistence. It's about choosing to keep going even when progress feels slow because the effort

adds up, I cannot tell you how many times I have made sourdough and it just did not work out. I got like a blob of messy dough or how many times I set out to do a run and I didn't complete it. This word is deeply personal to me. It's the answer to my struggles with feeling overwhelmed to the times I've started over and doubted if I could keep going.

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It's a reminder that every small step counts even when it feels like I'm barely freaking moving. If you've ever felt like you're stuck in a cycle of starting and then stopping, know this, you are not alone and you're not failing. Consistency isn't ever about failing. It's about choosing to stand back up. It's about learning to trust the process, to celebrate progress no matter how small and to give yourself grace along the way.

So how do I plan to bring this word to life for me in 2025? Well, I'm focusing on a few key areas. Number one, personal growth. So whether that's reading a few pages of a book every day, journaling my thoughts, or simply reflecting on my progress, I wanna show up consistently for myself. Number two, it's my fitness. You all know I'm preparing for a marathon, my first full marathon. And let me tell you, training for a marathon is the

ultimate test of consistency. And not only do I have my first full marathon this year, I have my first actual ultra marathon that I'm attempting a little bit later after my full marathon. It's not about running the longest distance every single day for me. It's about showing up for each run, sticking to that training plan and trusting the process that I am going to get to that finish line. Family life. As a mom,

showing up for my kids consistently is a huge priority. It's about being present, not perfectly, but intentionally. Another way, what I do for work and this podcast, I wanna continue creating valuable content for all of you consistently. So whether that's solo episodes like this or interviews with incredible guests or doing more consistent work with the budget mom,

My goal is to keep showing up and sharing conversations and material and information that truly matters. And financial health. Just like everything else, financial progress isn't about making huge leaps overnight, right? It's about small, consistent actions, whether that's budgeting, saving or investing, it all adds up over time. you know, I'm just going to come out and say a little confession. After

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I bought my dream home with cash. That was like my ultimate goal. That was like, for me, the biggest thing that I ever wanted to accomplish in my life was buying my dream home with cash for my family. It really was it for me. After I hit that goal, the question became now what? And I've kind of struggled to find...

I wouldn't say my purpose, something like that to fight for again. And, you know, I've had this dream of really what I would like to do with their homestead. I just have not really solidified. I just really have not solidified that crystal clear vision that I need. So I'm going to be working on really honing in and making small, consistent

decisions and actions to get me to that goal. So now let's talk about how you can choose your word for the year. If this is something you want to try for yourself, here's how you can start that process. Number one, reflect on the past year. What did you struggle with? What brought you joy? What do you want to do more or less of in your life? A reflection is a huge part of this process. Number two,

Think about who you wanna become. Your word should reflect this kind of person you want to grow into. Number three, keep it simple. Your word doesn't have to be super fancy or profound. It just needs to resonate with you. I want you to feel emotion when you think about your word. And number four, write it down. Once you choose your word, write it down.

Put it somewhere you can see it daily, whether that's on your vision board, maybe on a phone wallpaper, on your phone, a sticky note, on your mirror, on your desk, or even on a bracelet. Now, before I wrap up this bonus episode, I want to share some popular words people choose and why they can be really meaningful. The first word is balance. And this is for those who want to create harmony between work, family, and personal time. I know that's something that we all kind of struggle with. Number two,

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courage. This is for anyone looking to step outside their comfort zone and really face new challenge. I always say and I truly do believe that personal growth is found in the moments we're uncomfortable. In another word, joy. This is a reminder to seek happiness in the small moments. Another word is focus. This is to help eliminate distractions and prioritize what truly matters.

And the last and big one, I love this word, gratitude. It's a way to cultivate appreciation for what you already have. Now, before I end this episode, I kind of want to take a moment to reflect on 2024. This past year has been one of growth, change, and learning, not just for me, but so many of us. There were moments of joy, moments of challenge, and moments of stillness. And through it all, I learned that it's okay to pause

to reflect and to simply just be. I'm grateful for every lesson, every connection and every opportunity I had to grow in 2024. If 2024 taught me anything, it's that progress isn't always linear and that's okay. We don't have to get it perfect. We just have to keep showing up. And as we step into 2025, I wanna leave you with this message. You are stronger than you think, braver than you feel.

and more capable than you realize. The new year isn't about starting over. It's about continuing your journey. It's about believing in yourself even when the road gets tough. It's about embracing the small steps and trusting that they will lead you exactly where you need to be. So whatever your word is for 2025, whatever goals or dreams you have, remember this, the most important thing

is to keep going. Keep showing up for yourself. Keep taking those small steps and keep believing that you are enough. Until next time.

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join the podcast, make sure to subscribe, share this podcast with your friends and leave a review wherever you are listening. Your support helps me reach even more listeners and keeps the conversation going. Until next time, keep feeding your curiosity.