It’s Time to Choose A Word of the Year!

          Can one word have a lasting impact on your life?

          I don’t mean a word like yes or no.

          I’m thinking of words like enough, worthy, comfort, flourish, create, thrive, or any other word that might encourage you to be your authentic self or to take chances or to be present.

          I’m not really sure when I first heard about choosing a specific “Word of the Year.” It may have been Gretchen Rubin. Or one of my sisters. Or one of my accountability partners.

          WHEN I learned about it doesn’t really matter. The fact that I took it to heart for 2020 has significance. The idea behind a “Word of the Year” is that it can remind you of your goals, encourage you, and propel you forward. It sort of gives you a focus to the year ahead.

          When I chose my 2020 word, I had no idea what kind of year 2020 would be. It was a year filled with loss, fear, anxiety, and sorrow. But it was also a year of pride, confidence, accomplishment, and fulfillment. 2020 was a year of paradoxes, opposites, inconsistencies.

          For what it’s worth, my word for 2020 was STAND. And STAND I did. Toward the end of 2019 and at the beginning of 2020, I had just started believing that I was worthy, capable and competent. That I was enough. That I could succeed in this venture in the “blogosphere” and in my attempt to resurrect my freelance writing career.

          I wanted to remember to STAND up for my family. STAND up for my faith and STAND up for myself and my friends. The word served me well. I did what I set out to do. When I first chose STAND, I was afraid I would forget it. So I wrote it on an index card and stuck it to my wall. I needn’t have worried. When I think about it, I doubt I’ll be able to forget that my word for 2020 was STAND.

          So now it’s time to choose my word for 2021.

          If you do an Internet search for “How do I choose my word for the year?” you’ll get almost 5 BILLION results. Yes, BILLION — 4.77 billion in fact.

          There are worksheets, quizzes, and lists galore. But the way I chose my word for 2021 was a little more intuitive. I tried to notice what word kept cropping up in my mind when I thought of the new year. And the one word I couldn’t let go of was FINISH, but I didn’t think that really said what I was trying to get at. So I kept thinking.

          That’s when I came up with COMPLETE.

          I want my word to show that I am enough as I am. That I don’t need a particular relationship to complete me. Instead, my relationships should complement me. I also want to help those around me realize they are enough and whole and complete as they are. Sure, people have goals and things they are working on to try to better themselves, but they don’t need those things to be COMPLETE. They already are.

          And, on another level, I need to COMPLETE what I’ve started. I am a notorious starter, as is evident by the half-a-dozen clear plastic totes filled with UFOs (Unfinished Objects) in my basement. I have what I like to call “Shiny Object Syndrome.” (I like that better than “She Who Can’t Finish Stuff.”)

          I am usually working on some sort of craft project. My family can tell you I never show up to a family gathering without my craft bag. But every now and then, another project catches my attention (the shiny object) and I decide I’ll try the new thing and come right back to the old thing as soon as my curiosity is satisfied. But I never seem to get back to the old thing.

          SO I have vowed to COMPLETE many of those UFOs.

          I also have a habit of enrolling in online classes. But most of them have only gone that far — enrolling. I have about 50 or more courses that I have login information for, but I haven’t finished a single lesson or module. My goal this year is to work my way through those courses.

          I guess it comes down to me realizing I have the skills, determination, and perseverance to COMPLETE what I’ve started, whether the thing is a web site, or a course, or a craft project, or a series of books.

          How about you? Have you ever thought about choosing a word for the year? I have a friend who chooses a Bible verse that she uses in much the same way. She says God uses her chosen verse to constantly remind her of who she is and WHOSE she is.

          I would love to hear about what word you’ve chosen. Or any tradition you have for preparing yourself to face a new year. Just type it in the comments section below or email me at susie@stix-n-stonez.com

Until next week,

Susie from Stix-N-Stonez.com