What's your word?

by Mary Jo

Today is the last of our Word Wenches short Christmastide posts.  The holidays are over, and even though mine was great fun, I’m ready to descend into the silent, productive peace of January.

But since we’re beginning a new year, I decided to suggest a mental exercise that I blogged about a couple of years ago.  I was reminded of it on a discussion loop: Choosing a theme word for the upcoming year.  This isn’t a New Year’s resolution, a category that is famously ignored because trying to change deep seated habits generally takes more than a calendar change.

Instead, it’s a chance to think about our lives, where we are, where we’d like to be.  Just slowing down and thinking about such issues is in itself worthwhile in our busy lives. 

A good word might be Appreciate.  It’s easy to take for granted the good things around us, so consciously appreciating a beautiful day, a lunch with a friend, cherry blossoms in spring, will enrich our selves.

In fact, Self is a good word, especially those who spend too much time doing for others.  I know busy wives and mothers who fantasize checking into a hotel and not having to talk to anyone but room service for a week.  Maybe this should be a year of putting your needs on the top of the list rather than the bottom.

Or maybe Abundant.  Such a rich, luxurious concept!  Abundant happiness, abundant energy, abundant relationships. 

Perhaps you'd like Mindfulness: taking the the time to be here now, in the moment rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

I’m thinking of choosing Focus.  Being infinitely distractible, I’m always amazed that I managed to finish one book, much less dozens.  I’d like better focus so I can write more efficiently and have more time for my personal life and maybe some writing play projects.  Better focus =  more productivity and more fun, yes! 

Well, it’s worth a try.  <G>  I’ll put Focus! on a few Post-It notes around the house to remind myself, and we’ll see what happens.  Maybe I'd be better off with Patience. <G>

What about you?  What word would you choose as a theme for the coming year? 

Joy is never a bad place to start considering....

Mary Jo

PS: Okay, I didn't realize until I'd prepared this post that Jo had already suggested the "choose a word" idea.  (You'll not be surprised to hear that she and I are on that same discussion loop that was playing the game.

But there are plenty of good words to choose--and it's too late for me to come up with another idea. <G>

Comments

[Emily A]

Persistence I started goals I still need to see through.
Determination
I need to not give up.
Hope
I need to believe good things will happen after periods of loss and saddness.

[Mary Jo Putney]

All good words, Emily. It sounds like you might have had a challenging 2012, so I hope these theme words will resonate to help you create a better new year.

[Anne Gracie]

Mary jo, I love this exercise, so I'm glad we have another angle on it.

I think Focus is a good one for me. (Well here I am commenting on the blog when I should be working on my next book *g*)

Jennifer Crusie has a good saying -- "Protect the work" and I know that's not one word, but if you say it fast...

[Janice]

Outwardness. I would like to dwell less on my own problems and think more about how I can be useful to the people I care about. Another form of mindfulness, I suppose. Too much in our lives and culture encourage us to put our own concerns way too far ahead of those of others, in small ways as well as the obvious large ones. It becomes easy to forget that we live in a web of other lives which are just as important as our own. So I'll be watching my tongue, giving advice if it's wanted and help where it's needed, things like that.

[Keira Soleore]

Mary Jo, what a cool concept. I'm going to steal your word: Appreciate. It's the one thing that I don't make enough time in my life to do. 2012 was so good for me that I need to slow down and take 2013 to expess gratitude, show love, and just marvel at the blessings. Appreciate. Yes.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Anne--

I think protecting the work, even if it isn't one word , is esssential for any successful creative person--and success makes the protecting more difficult and successful. It's so easy to be drawn into teaching and mentoring and other activities that are valuable--yet get in the way of our own work. It's a constant struggle to balance

[Mary Jo Putney]

"outwardness"--good one, Janice! As you say, the culture encourages concentrating on our own concerns. Some of that is needful--but if we're down, obsessing about our own problems makes them feel worse. Reaching out to help others is good for them, and also for us.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Keira--

I can't take credit for the concept, but I really do like it. "Appreciate" is a theme word that can really add happiness and satisfaction to life. We need to get off the gerbil wheel and look around us to see and appreciate what we have. "Getting and spending we lay waste our days," as wordsworth said. (I might not have the quote exactly right, though!)

[Anne Gracie]

Actually, Mary Jo, I think you've given me my one word for 2013 — balance. I need more of that in my life. Thank you.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Balance! I can use that also, Anne. Let's share the word--in a balanced way. *G*

[Laura]

Great blog. I was going to say I can't decide but as I prepared to write that comment, I decided that meant I should choose (also) "focus"!
Happy New Year!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Laura, "Focus" is something a lot of us can use in a world that has way too much distraction!

[Artemisia]

My word for this year is "No." After being heavily involved in condo responsibilities for nearly 5 years, this year I am opting out. I need to "focus" on "self" and "mindfulness" and the only way to do that is to say "no" when the phone calls come.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Artemesia, sometimes "No!" is the best word of all. I frequently suggest this to friends who, like you, who are doing so much for others that it affects your own priorities. May you have a year of "No" that gives you self and mindfulness.

[Judy]

Create. I'm creating a healthier me; I'm creating a haven for my working; and I'm creating more stories.

[Mary Jo Putney]

CREATE! Good one, Judy. It can apply in so many areas. Health, working environment, and stories are all good beneficiaries of creativity.

[Jo Banks]

Create I like that one I also need to concentrate more!I think I am a bit of butterfly brain drifting from one thing to another so definitely this year concentrate and create should be my words!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Jo--the nice thing is that we can pick more than one word if we liked. "Concentrate" and "create" cover a lot of bases between them!

[Hannah Lee]

Mary Jo, I'd pick patience. I long for serenity, but my impatience with people gets in the way. People will change and develop at their own pace.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Patience! That's a good one, Hannah. And something I've never had much of. May we both acquire more in the coming year.

[Betty]

Hope - hope that my husbands cancer continues to shrink.

Prayer - My husband was told in Sept. 2012 that he had a year to live. In Dec. 2012 he was told it began to shrink. God can and does answer prayers.

Health

Focus - I tend to day dream

Breathe - There's always so much going on I tend to forget to take a breather

Relax - stress is a killer.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Hope and prayer can create miracles. I hope they do for you, Betty. And BREATHE! You need to stay in health.