I am a huge fan of choosing a word for the year rather than making resolutions. Resolutions always made me feel like I was making a list of all the ways I sucked and the things I needed to fix. When I failed to achieve them, it only made me feel worse about myself.
Having a word feels more like I'm choosing a theme for my year. It's something positive, and even if it is going to result in me changing things in my life, it fees like it's being driven from a place of self-love rather than self-hatred.
This will be the 10th year I've chosen One Little Word since 2008. My previous words have been:
2008 - balance
2009 - invest
2010 - health
2011 - listen
2012 - resolve
2013 - vital
2014 - motion
2015 - cultivate
2019 - awake
I've had the most success when the word I've chosen manifests itself in my life in multiple ways - invest, for example, was about investing time in my relationships, being better about saving money so I could invest in my future, investing both time and money to improve my skills in photography, and investing time and thought into caring for my body. It truly became a theme for my year.
This year, I think I might go with the word present. It's about being present, both physically and mentally. Giving presents, like a gift or a donation. What presents in my physical self, from a medical standpoint. Focusing on how I'm presenting myself appearance-wise.
Unfortunately, "present" doesn't encapsulate everything I'm wanting for this year, so I'm not completely sold on it yet. What I really want is an antonym for the word inertia. Inertia is my #1 challenge in every area of my life; but I can't find an antonym I really like. Action, activity, animation, life, liveliness, moving, vitality, vigor ... none of them are completely the opposite of "inertness, especially with regard to effort, motion, action, and the like; inactivity; sluggishness; the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force."
Consistency is such a great word, Sherri - it's been one of my top contenders for years. And I completely agree with what you said about having your word visible in your environment - it makes such a difference! In the past, I've bought a ring with my word engraved on the top so I could see it all the time, I've made artwork and hung it within my eyeline at the office, and the year I chose CULTIVATE I made a 16x20 piece of art that read "what will you CULTIVATE today?" and hung it on my bedroom wall so it was the first thing I saw each morning. Those years I was much more successful in keeping my word in mind and allowing it to be the theme of my year.
I would love to see what you wind up creating for your word this year! Please be sure to come back and share it with us.
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