Why I Choose a Theme for Every Year (and My Theme for 2027)
Fall has always had a fresh-start feeling for me, usually beginning in September alongside the school year. This year, though, November has brought that clean-slate feeling I love so much about the season, maybe because it finally started feeling like fall in Los Angeles. Either way, I've found myself thinking about where I want to head in the new year: physically, mentally, and creatively.
I’ve always been highly goal-oriented and love habit tracking. I still sometimes choose over-arching goals (aka resolutions) for the year, but something I’ve found to be more useful is choosing a theme instead of a goal. The idea behind choosing a theme is that it guides my decision-making throughout the year and might move me toward a larger goal, but on a deeper level, my theme points to an identity I want to embody for that year and beyond.
The Origin of My Yearly Themes
The first time I chose a theme was back in 2019. This was the year that Be Bold steered a large portion of my actions and fundamentally changed who I became during that year. My intention with this theme was specifically to say “yes” to more opportunities and try things I had been too scared to do in the past. I kept a running list in my bullet journal of any “firsts” I accomplished. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this became a defining year in my life.
I had given myself permission to do all the things I secretly wanted to, but had felt too anxious/shy/intimidated to do. Even if they failed, I still accomplished my goal of being bold and adding another “first” to my list. That was the year I adopted my dog, started hiking and camping again, and really rediscovered myself after a long-term relationship ended. It laid the foundation for much of my identity in the years to follow and my re-entry to the outdoors as an adult. April Adventuring might not exist without 2019 April having decided to be bold!
The reasons choosing a theme has worked so well for me are:
It comes with a lot less pressure than a resolution, which generally has a pass/fail depending on whether or not the goal was accomplished.
It can be applied to many areas of life, instead of being siloed to a specific activity or project. This keeps the theme top-of-mind and encourages progress in many facets.
Rooting a goal in an identity shift makes change more sustainable and deep-rooted. I am not someone who checks off the box of “try something new,” but rather I become a person who lives life boldly by regularly saying “yes” to opportunities and trying new things.
Truthfully, I had a few good years of themes, then fell off the last few years after moving to California. Now I’m feeling inspired to pick up the tradition again and jump back in with a new theme for 2027. The moon appealed to me as a theme because its cycles are visible, predictable, and constantly changing. They’re a reminder that life can have seasons without one phase being inherently better than another.
2027: The Year I Live in Rhythm
An idea I’ve been playing with for several months is how it would look to live a life led by the phases of the moon. Not a strict governing, but a guiding framework by which I cycle through periods of rest, planning, action, and release.
I’d had the thought a while back of creating one new YouTube video each month, to be released on the full moon. While I liked the idea of this, I didn’t want to be tied down to a solitary day for publishing. I knew this would add immense pressure and that if I missed that date, I’d feel compelled to wait another full month to fall back in line on the next full moon. I also wanted this idea of living in cycles to encompass more than just my YouTube schedule, so the theme of living in rhythm was born.
I’ve spent bits and pieces of the last week researching what this would look like, creatively and otherwise. I even put together a little poster tacked up by my annual calendar that shows each of the eight phases of the moon, highlighting the energy associated with each phase and the kinds of actions I might focus on during that time.. This will be my guide throughout the year and a reminder that every day isn’t meant to be a productive grind.
What Living in Rhythm Means
Living in rhythm means a few things to me. You can check out this page if you’re curious about the actual actions to be taken during each moon phase. That’s where I took a lot of inspiration from as I’ve been building out my framework.
When thinking about my creative process specifically, it’s about settling into a cycle of work and rest that results in a more sustainable (and hopefully productive) way to generate content that I love and share with the world. It’s finding the balance between:
Knowing that slowing down, reflecting, and resting are all parts of the cycle of creation, and
Also knowing that each slow period should be followed by another of action, growth, and publishing.
The over-arching goal is to go into each of these phases with intention and purpose. I want to celebrate my wins and slow down before burn out hits and work hard knowing that the grind won’t last forever.
I've spent years swinging between two extremes: pushing myself until I desperately need a break, then taking such a long break that starting again feels overwhelming.
I work and work to finish a project, video, blog post, email, then I sit back and take so much rest that I lose all momentum and fall completely off the wagon. I’m learning that these slower periods are totally necessary, but should be treated with as much intention as the work periods. Rather than vegging out and resting on my laurels, I will be reflecting and setting myself up for the next cycle.
In the rest of my life outside content creation, these cycles also give guidance around when to rest, clear space, plan, set intentions, celebrate, reflect, and more. Sometimes my task paralysis gets so bad that overwhelm prevents me from even starting my to-do list. Using the natural ebb and flow of the moon will give me a starting point when I don’t know where to go first.
What If My Life Doesn’t Work with the Moon?
I know there will come times throughout the year that I can’t abide by the phases of the moon. I’ll have deadlines to be finished during the new moon and periods of rest during the full moon. I’m not planning to eschew my real life responsibilities because of this theme I’ve chosen. It’s merely a guide and framework that I will keep coming back to and that I’m hoping will help me stay on track for an extended period of time.
I’m also tracking my own moods, energy levels, and creative output each day, so I can see what my own rhythms are and how well they match (or don’t match) the moon phases. This is all meant to be a fun experiment and way to learn a little more about myself and how to make this whole creation thing sustainable for myself.
If this is interesting to you, maybe consider living in sync with the moon for a month to see how you feel. Or commit to the whole year like myself and we can reconvene to discuss in 12 months! Either way, I hope you’re looking forward to a wonderful new year with productivity, play, and rest.
What theme would you choose for your 2027? I’d love to hear about it!
Happy adventuring,
April
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