You’ve probably heard the idea of choosing a word for the year.
Last year, I chose Flourish.
Keeping my word of the year in mind has worked well for me this year.
Now that we’re moving into the holidays, I decided to choose a phrase to guide me during the season.
I’ve chosen Fresh and Light.
I’m letting this intention guide me as I choose decor, foods, activities for our family gatherings and more.
More importantly, I want the phrase to guide my attitude and feelings as I go through the season.
I’m asking myself two questions
If I want to feel fresh and light:
What will I need to let go of?
What will I need to nurture in myself?
The goal with choosing a guiding phrase or word is not to worry about creating a perfect holiday season.
The goal is to remember what I want to focus on and to enjoy the way things are now.
Have you ever tried choosing a word or phrase for a season?
Share in the comments if you have. I’d also love to have you share ideas for words of the year (or season). Those lists can be inspirational when we’re trying to capture one for ourselves.
What a great idea. I will have to give this some thought. I definitely want meaningful conversations. Perhaps engaged and present? We are traveling and not doing any traditional foods. Simple is the plan this year. So maybe simple and present. Or simple and focused. I’ll ponder this a bit. Thanks for the inspiration!
I like all of your ideas! The word “present” seems like a good one, with the double meaning of being in the moment and also giving gifts/presents.
I have never picked a word or phrase for the year. However, after following along with your journey this year, I believe I will try it. It’s been great to see how this works. Many people say they pick a word for the year but no one really shares the full experience. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Michelle, in the past I’ve chosen a word for the year, but I haven’t done a good job of keeping it front and center for myself. That might be the key to seeing it through the whole year.
I really like this idea. We have simplified the holidays by only shopping for the grandkids. But even with that there can be stress when our whole blended family gets together. I would like to send the whole family an intention statement of Light and Love and compassion. Maybe I will. I just wanted to let you know that I have really enjoyed the Flourish emails. It is amazing that even though our lives can be going pretty smoothly, if we don’t put in effort, to be present and thoughtful, we can slide into a place that is less then flourishing. And who doesn’t want to flourish, it is a lovely word and state of being.
Donna, I like the idea of letting your family know what your intention statement is. I’m so glad the Flourish emails are helpful. I know it’s been helpful to me to stay focused on creating conditions to flourish and I’m glad to have others on the journey too.
I have chosen a word of the year since 2018. They have been Focus, Listen, Release, Rise, Transform, and Become. Reading over this list, I can see how my life has been shifting and changing. I’ve been listening and watching for my 2024 word for a few weeks and Capable keeps coming back up.
Jess, that’s a great list! And thank you for describing how to come up with a word of the year – listening and watching describes the process perfectly.
My word for 2023 is Reclaim. 2022 was a huge transition year with my oldest graduating from college and moving across the country. My youngest graduated from high school. With the emotional roller coaster of launching children and just trying to figure out what I’m suppose to do and what can I do with the changing of my role in the lives of my kids. I started 2023 with reclaiming my home. All the things I’ve put off would now get some attention. I did a whole house decluttering, cleaning and organizing using the Mt. Vernon method. With the help of time management and planning methods I have been learning, I finished ahead of my original timeline and had a garage sale in August and donated everything else. As I worked through each room I made a list of repairs, chores, and other projects. My word for 2024 is Reset. I want to evaluate my systems and routines for housework, healthy living and all the things. I also want to tackle the projects that were recorded during my Mt. Vernon adventure.
I love how you’ve used your word, Reclaim. Launching kids really is a little disorienting and I like your idea of reclaiming that. I’ve never heard of the Mt. Vernon method. I’m going to look that up! Thanks for sharing!