The Word of the Year.
When I started into this world of blogging several years ago, the "word of the year" started to become A THING. It was everywhere and everyone was choosing one- their identity for the coming year. If for some reason you've never heard of the word of the year trend, it is the idea that instead of making resolutions at the start of the new year, you pick an inspirational word to guide your actions in the coming months. It's your theme song, if you will. People have their word put on wall prints, their computer background, tattoos. Okay, maybe that's going a little far, but you get the idea. This word is huge and important and must be chosen very carefully and thoughtfully.
I have never chosen a word of the year. Like I said yesterday, I prefer to make goals for the new year that are generally realistic and achievable. I also have this huge fear of choosing something that is going to be my one, main guiding ideal and then life taking a turn and not being able to get where I was hoping to go. "Where do you see yourself in five years?" is a terrifying question. How can I even begin to answer that? To answer questions like that makes me feel trapped to whatever I say, so even picking one word for the whole year seems daunting.
But for some it seems that choosing a single word is more realistic and more streamlined than coming up with a list of goals and resolutions. I was reading this post from Tiffany Hahn yesterday and was really intrigued by the comments. Some people have some really inspiring words and some really good reasoning behind them. (I think "moxie" might be my favorite.) The problem is, then, I want them all. I want to relax and nurture myself, I want to be bold and fearless, I want joy and to create. And moxie- I want moxie. Maybe I could do a word of the month?
I ask you out there reading this: do you choose a word of the year for yourself? Why or why not? How do you go about choosing one thing, if you decide to do a word? Do you keep it someplace as a reminder, or is it more intrinsic? I'm really intrigued by this and would love to hear more.
Follow me on Bloglovin'
Yes! Word of the year for me sets the tone for what I want to achieve. :)
ReplyDeleteI wrote a whole long comment on my phone and LOST IT. eff. but:
ReplyDeleteI get not wanting to be limited to one word for the year, but I don't think the word for the year you chose to focus on has to drown out all the other words! I had a year of the word last year (and the year before) but it was absolutely not the only word I used to guide me - and, actually, my fosuc shifted to other associated words/thoughts in the last few months of 2014. I like to think of my word for the year as the anchor for one of those brainstorming clouds kids do when they're preparing a story for class. So for me "amicable" was in the center and then it branched out into lots of other words and thoughts including "gracious" and "benefit of the doubt" and things like that. I used the entire cloud to guide me in an abstract way, but it was grounded by that one word.
This year, despite what I just said, I'm not doing a word. I'm doing a quote. You'll have to come to my blog tomorrow to see what it is though :P
(P.S. this is basically the post that I'm publishing tomorrow - you're getting a teaser! haha.)
I don't usually pick a word or do resolutions. It just seems like too much added pressure. I'm constantly making changes in my life throughout the year that the new year really isn't a catalyst for me to make changes.
ReplyDeleteThis is how I feel about it too- it seems like setting yourself up for disappointment.
ReplyDeleteI love the analogy of the brainstorm clusters! I totally get that. I may try and pick a word that I could branch off of like that which would encompass more things than just that one ideal. Looking forward to reading your post- and hopefully catching up on blogs soon, too!
ReplyDelete