Word of the Year 2016

A practice that has added more meaning to my life and that I would suggest for anyone who thrives on improving is to adopt a word of the year. Picking a word of the year (or WOTY, as I like to call it) is invigorating and helps me lead an intentional life all year long.

I'm not one for new year's resolutions because I don't believe in waiting for an excuse to change if I know things need to. I'm constantly making new goals and reevaluating my footing on life's hilly hiking trail. However, I do like to set aside certain times to focus in-depth on one thing. One of those things is a word that I explore all year long.

I look for a space in my life that may need adjusting, usually an aspect of myself that is thirsty for attention, and pick a word that can help me explore multiple facets of that value. Every month I ponder a different application of the word, and by the end of the year, the word is ingrained in my heart.

When I first started this annual tradition, I wasn't sure whether or not the new words would replace the past words or if they would all work together. For me, at least, I was surprised to discover how the words accrued and got all cozy with one another. I haven't lost the depth I was able to uncover with the previous years. What an exciting revelation! Now I get excited at the start of a new year to tuck the old word away safely in my soul where it is there to stay, and welcome a new member to my personal little WOTY family.

Past WOTY:
2011 Change
2012 Savor
2013 Fresh
2014 Peace
2015 Do

I'm happy to tuck away Do where it can keep working and welcome Grace for the 2016 year. There are so many characteristics that I'm looking forward to learning more about: carrying oneself with grace and dignity, accepting the grace our Savior offers to all who seek it, offering grace and forgiveness to others, encouraging gratitude, appreciating gracefulness and graciousness, and finding the moments of grace in everyday living.
 

Guys, this year is going to be good! I can feel it in my bones!

If you haven't yet tried this practice, I invite you to give it a spin this year! If you need any tips or suggestions on how to make this yearly tradition work in a good way for you, give me a little shout and I'd be happy to discuss it more with you. These are the kinds of important things we can do to improve and broaden perspectives. This is how we live with intention.

Word Of The Year Update

Once or twice a month I reevaluate my WOTY, ensuring it is still enriching my life and encouraging me to go in a direction I know I need. This year has been a little different in that I didn't have any sub-goals planned with my word, "Do." However, it has been interesting to watch how it has still become a driving force behind many of the decisions we've been making as a family as well as my overall attitude.

I've noticed that I have been more aware of the way I spend my time, more selective about what I spend my time doing, and interestingly, more forgiving of myself when I haven't been able to get everything done that I was hoping to.

My priorities have settled in eye-opening ways, and after last year's WOTY encounter with "peace," it's been nice to rev up the engines and get going on things. Needless to say, it's been a healthy practice, and after my most recent evaluation, I'm happy with where this word has taken me thus far and I'm looking forward to discovering more about it throughout the rest of the year.

Right now my immediate focus on doing is taking the form of finishing touches for the Beehive Bazaar fall show, which starts next Thursday. Lots to do. The hustle is real and I'm hoping it pays off with a successful round of art vending.

Did you pick a Word Of The Year for 2015? It's still not too late if you haven't! If you have a word, I hope it's meeting your expectations! I love how the words I consciously pick become a part of me in unexpected yet needed ways. It's a deliberate way to bring improvement and enlightenment into my life.

Word of the Year 2015

The word that picked me for 2015 is a tiny little two-letter gal with a lot of fire behind her:

Boom. I'm excited to explore this word more this year. After last year's break to refocus my energies, this word is just what I need. I realized last autumn that I was lacking in that extra motivation I usually rely on, so I'm hoping that my new WOTY will boost it a bit.

So far, I know I need to focus on JUST DO, DO GOOD, and DO IT ANYWAY.

JUST DO:
I'm hoping to spend less time thinking (the fretful kind) and more time just doing things. I'm a thinker by nature which means I spend at least 3/4 of my time thinking a project through and maybe 1/4 of my time executing it. That ratio has got to change.

DO GOOD:
I'm hoping to keep focused on good wholesome things and choosing to do the best possible thing. I want to maintain what I've worked on this year by ensuring I don't just do good things, but given the choice between two good things, also picking the best one. I need my actions to continue to support intentional and meaningful consequences.

DO IT ANYWAY:
I'm hoping to accept the fact that doing things instead of just planning them means I will make mistakes, and I'm okay with that. No more excuses, but lots more action. (Yikes! This one is hard for me!)

I'm also keeping my heart open to other lessons I can learn throughout the year because I am sure there are many more aspects of this WOTY that will add to my perspective. In fact, it's pretty much guaranteed to happen, just like it does every year.

Last year, the word I chose was peace, and you can read my honest thoughts here if you'd like to see how it went for me in 2014. Other words I've picked in the past are change, savor, and fresh. I love how the word is ingrained in my heart by the end of the year and is a living, growing part of who I am constantly becoming.

Even though I've been doing this for the last five years, lots of other amazing people have similar practices that they've been doing for just as long (or longer!). For more thoughts behind the purpose of adopting a word for a whole year, check out Ali Edward's One Little Word (she also has a workshop to help guide your thoughts during this undertaking, which I've never used it but I'm sure is great), or Elise Blaha Cripe, or Liz Lamoreux, or a growing handful of some of my friends and family who have found their own ways to make this a meaningful addition to their lives. Maybe you have close friends or family who have a similar tradition.

So what say you? Do you have a word? If so, what is it and what are you hoping to gain from it?

Peace Out, Peace

Oh, friends. I gave it the good college try this year with my word of the year (WOTY). Here's how it went down:

The word I picked for 2014 was 'peace' and it was much needed. I realized that I was driving my family crazy with my busyness and non-stop to-dos. They wouldn't ever say anything to me about it because they are super supportive and way too nice, but I could tell they were getting exhausted being dragged around all willy-nilly.

So, in one of my little self-evaluations at the end of the year when I was considering a word to explore, I became keenly aware of the need in our lives (because of mine) to introduce peace. I realized I had to get to know peace a little more personally and learn how to incorporate it into my life.

I knew the most efficient way to make that happen would be to settle down a little bit...or a lot. I took a much-needed break from my to-do lists and considered the level of burnout I was about to encounter. As is usual with the whole WOTY experience, I considered and incorporated many avenues of exploration. This year, though, the most significant change I made was to not be driven daily by my to-do list and to take some time to relax.

Although it was hard work, I managed to take a chill pill and turn into a lazy person. I think my family really loved it, but I only made it approximately 9.5 months before I couldn't take it anymore. I'm happy to say my to-do list is back and I'm finding that motivation I thought I had lost for good. I made a good effort, but I'm relieved to be back!

It's not like my WOTY went unused (as if anyone could benefit from peace), I merely realized that one aspect of the word wasn't working so well for me. And, I still learned a lot. I'm making a bigger effort to not let my to-do list exist for the sake of doing things, but to use it as a tool to focus in on the things that are most important.

And, good news: I already have a great word for next year and I'm excited to see where it leads me! I love how adopting a word for a year really influences my perspective. It's become a meaningful practice for me that I will continue for a good long while.

Do you have a word of the year or another meaningful practice you'd like to share?

Watercolor Words How-To

I've been fiddling around with watercolors lately in conjunction with my WOTY (or word of the year) and thought I'd share a little tutorial on how it was done.