Choosing a Word of the Year to focus on can help keep you centered.

I have never liked making New Year’s Resolutions. When I broke them, which I inevitably would do, I felt bad about myself. So, I started setting Goals instead. At the end of the year, I would look back at the goals I set at the beginning of the year to see if I had achieved them. If there were ones that hadn’t been accomplished, I would just roll those over to the next year.

But several years ago, I learned about choosing One Word for the year. I loved that idea. Having just one word to focus on throughout the year helped me narrow my focus and get back on track when I needed to.

This year I asked my readers if they had chosen their One Word for the year. Some of their answers were:

• Hopeful
• Calm
• Elevate
• Focus
• Determined
• Declutter
• Forgiveness

(If you are a Facebook User, you can read all of their answers in my Karen Schulz Designs Facebook Group.)

I had trouble deciding upon just one word this year, so I’ve decided to choose 2:  Streamline and Permission

Streamline

Sometimes I don’t always take the most direct route to get to an endpoint. This year I want to focus on putting into practice guides and strategies to help me accomplish goals more succinctly.

Case in point:  A few weeks ago, I decided to reorganize my office. Some of the things that were in here were going to be moved to a different storage area. Instead of putting them away, I put them on a desk outside my office to deal with later.  Big surprise, they’re still there.

Permission

I have a hard time just “being” – just relaxing. There are too many things that I want to do.  Relaxing seems like a waste of time. I know that’s not true. I know we need that time of rejuvenation to do and be our best.  But it’s just hard for me to do it. I am really going to try hard to give myself permission to relax.

Case in point: Yesterday I was out of the office all day running errands. When I got home, I was unusually tired, but couldn’t give myself permission to relax. I wanted to get back to a design project I’m working on. I thought having something to eat would give me more energy. It didn’t. It wasn’t until I remembered that I had gotten my 3rd Covid Booster that morning, which was probably why I felt so exhausted, that I finally gave myself permission to just relax. I had to have a “reason” to give myself permission.

So, I’ll see how 2023 goes. If I can integrate these 2 Words, and what they would mean to me, into my daily life, I will be a better person at the end of the year.

Have you chosen a Word of the Year?  If so, please let us know in the Comments before what you’ve chosen, and please share Why you chose that word, if you feel comfortable doing so.