How Using a Word of the Year Changed My Life
Discovering the Word of the Year
It was a Wednesday. I was sitting alone in my living room with a huge lump in my throat, trying not to cry. My head hurt. I felt overwhelmed and unappreciated. Obligations, other people’s stuff, perfectionism, and unanswered emails were drowning me. On top of this, it was apparent that I was moving, but not getting any closer to where I wanted to be in life. I felt unfulfilled. I was overdrawn. I was burnt out.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
The ‘this’ I was referring to was me hitting the ground running every single day like an energizer bunny checking off items on a to-do list. I had too much going on. I was over-giving and over-committing while receiving little in return. I think I could have dealt with all of that if I was accomplishing something significant, but I was not.
I needed focus. I had to stop the juggling act.
The next day, I remember taking a piece of my sanity back by doing nothing. I backed out of plans and left text messages unread. This lackadaisical “I don’t have time for it. I could care less” attitude lasted for about five months, but it felt good. A shift happened while I was cleaning up and listening to a YouTube message. It was as if God waited until I was completely carefree to reveal to me that the episode on the couch was caused by a lack of vision. I was completing tasks but they were not aligned to my life’s vision. I was saying yes when I needed to be saying no. I was allowing people to walk in and out of my life and make demands that were in no way connected to the vision for my life.
It all made sense.
On the back of an old business card, I scribbled the word ‘vision’ and taped it to my refrigerator. I didn’t want to forget what I was experiencing. It became my word. When I heard it, I got excited. When I saw it anywhere, I felt like it was a God wink.
Later that year, a friend of mine asked if I had a vision board, and requested that I host a vision-board party for my girls’ group. I jokingly told her that I had a vision board but found having a word to be more rewarding. My first “word of the year” party was born. I Googled “word of the year” and was surprised that it was actually “a thing” that had helped so many people like me to remain focused.
I was sold.
Sounds Good But…. What is a Word of the Year?
A word of the year is simply a new year’s vision, theme or aspiration summed up in one word. It’s best implemented at the beginning of the year, but can be used at any time of the year. It helps set the tone for each month and guides you toward your purpose. It works because it’s simple. It’s not a long list of resolutions. It’s a one-word anchor and focuses you.
Here is a list of my words:
2015 – Vision
2016 – Flower
2017 – Love
2018 – Femininity
2019 – Still
Coming Up With Your Own Word of The Year
By this time, thoughts of having your own word of the year are probably being planted in your mind. You are wondering how having one will change your life. However, much like coming up with your child’s name, the process of narrowing your year to just one word can be daunting. My best advice is not to overthink it. Pray about it. Fall silent, focus, and let the word come to you.
My most recent word – “still” – came about after a series of dreams with the same message. In the dreams, I was anxious and in grind mode. I was grabbing for a particular answer but could not find any resolution. My brother and father called me describing similar dreams they had about me. I just laughed because the dreams were so on point to where I was. It was a divine intervention. I thought this was “my grind year,” but what God was saying was the opposite: “Stop fighting. Be still. The pieces will come together.”
Each day, I am gently reminded to be still, and I feel reassured.
Word of the Year Parties & Other Fun Stuff
I love the excitement of vision-board parties. Getting your desires out of your head, designing a work of art with it and sharing this with friends is a powerful process. You’ve probably been to or heard of vision-board parties and can attest to this. Nonetheless, they can become a bit stale and clichéd year after year. Why not change it up this year and host a “word of the year” party? Pick up art supplies from your nearest craft store. Create a sign-up genius for dishes and dessert, and invite a few friends over. Spend the rest of the night decorating your word of the year. Frame and showcase the completed work of art. Then go around the room and have everyone talk about their word of the year. The gathering will bring about deeper friendship, accountability, and creative ideas.
You can also make the word meaningful by wearing your word on T-shirts or jewelry, creating prayer and affirmations, or dissecting the word using a word-analysis tool.
Final Thoughts
Whether you want to see your dreams manifest, eliminate stress and burnout, or increase your confidence and happiness, creating a word of the year can help you. I hope this journey leads you to:
- Make more connections between the past and present.
- Keep your goals fresh.
- Remember what’s important.
- Add some zest to your life.
- Grow spiritually.
Connect With Me
🌸 Follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
🌸 Join my virtual groups: Diamonds Bloom is a group for women who want more out of life than just to exist. Women who want risk. Women who want God, poetry, and art. We will challenge each other, grow together, and celebrate fulfilling our dreams together.
🌸 Introverted Girlfriends is a community (virtual and in person) for introverted women only.
2021 Update: Join My Virtual Join Of The Year Party
*Invite Only* Register using the following link.
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