I’ve always loved the New Year – 365 days of possibilities. I used to adore making resolutions. Creating endless lists of all the ways I could improve. Write it down! Make it happen!
Others don’t indulge in goal setting. My husband is the latter. He just strives to do his best and stays chill about it. That’s an absolutely foreign concept to me …
I’m not making any resolutions this year. From what I learned about healing trauma since our house fire in 2017, goal setting just doesn’t speak to me right now and I’m honoring that. It just feels like too much work, and almost abusive.
If you’ve already color coded your goals for this year, I say GO FOR IT!
Instead, I have picked ONE WORD to be my guiding light for 2020. It feels simpler, more achievable. My word for 2020 is …
Fearless.
It has a double meaning for me.
I want to be FEAR-LESS (less anxious and afraid since that seems to be internal working model).
I also want to be more FEARLESS. Braver/bolder in all that I do.
They may look like they’re saying the same thing, but they speak differently to my soul. Like flip sides of the same coin (to borrow a phrase from Copper Daniels in my books, who is kind of the epitome of fearless).
One Word feels Simpler
I’m trying to step away from being so Type-A. So all or nothing. One word feels doable, though still a challenge. What does one do to be more FEARLESS and FEAR LESS? I think as I’ve healed old wounds from childhood, that has made be bolder, more joyful and freer.
Fearless is my compass to guide me this year. I’m excited.
What’s Your One Word for 2020?
Don’t overthink it. You can change your word at any time later this year, but RIGHT NOW, if you had to sum up in one word … what you want for this year?
If it helps, start with a phrase or topic, then whittle it down to find your ONE WORD. I’m happy to help you brainstorm.
Just relax and have fun with this.
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What’s Your One Word for the New Year? If need be, I’d love to help brainstorm. Please leave a comment.
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Mine is CHALLENGE. There are so many connotations, but the biggest is to be fit enough by the end of the year, at the latest, to be able to set the much delayed charity challenge (you can read more about it in my FB post from December 28) xoxo
CHALLENGE!
Wow, love this. Read your FB post. An 84-mile hike. That’s some incredible stuff. A lot has has happened to you in the past 10 years. Good luck as get back to do this again (+ all the other challenges I’m sure you want to face in 2020)!
Thank you! I did my first workout yesterday, so understandably a little sore this morning. Can’t wait for the weather to improve so I can get out properly into the fresh air! xoxo
Nice. Baby steps + consistency. You’ve got this!
ACCEPT – Accept that I can only do my best, only do as much as I can, and accept that I may never reach my goals and stop stressing it when I don’t.
ACCEPT – Fantastic, Francois.
Now, I seem on a deeper level why you and I are kindred spirits. You suffer from perfectionism, too. I’ve said this for YEARS, but perfectionism is socially-acceptable form of ABUSE. It’s awful and I’m glad you’re working on it. Accept, accept, accept …
Yes, I can agonize over the tiniest of details, but in the end I’m almost always pleased with the results (plus 30 years in IT where if your code isn’t perfect then it’s full of bugs and that’s never good – garbage in, garbage out).
Yes, but 99.9% of life is not IT, so you don’t have to torture yourself over every tiny detail. Often times, “good enough” is just fine.
Persistence. Dealing with a broken humerus bone and dislocated shoulder on right arm. In addiition, staying on Keto all while trying to write everyday and type mostly with my left hand. Got to stay on purpose and that means to me persisting through the pain and struggles towards my goal.
PERSISTENCE is definitely a requirement to succeed in writing (or anything, really). What did you do to injure yourself?
Thank you, Marcy for the lovely reply. Fell down some faulty cement stairs. Landed on my right elbow and as they say the rest is history. I am blessed to have not hit my head. My curse is that I always try to find the silver-lining. 🙂
OUCH! Finding the silver-lining is a HUUUUUUUGE gift. Keep it up and good luck with your recovery! xoxoxo
Yes, you are right. I always say in jest that it is a curse. Thank you for your well wishes. So wonderful to have had this opportunity to chat with you. 🙂
grateful—no matter how my day begins, I can think of jillions of things to be grateful for. Lately, I snuggle under my blankets and am grateful for softness and warmth. If not enough, I pull out my king-sized heating pad & add it to my method for starting out the night warm–grateful for heating pads.
GRATITUDE is always, always a great default. Just helps color your days so much more positively. TERRIFIC!
Kindness. To friends, family, strangers and me.
Focus. Though I do like accept (as it relates to perfectionism, a socially acceptable form of abuse per Marcy!!). My attention tends to wander from one project to the next and by the end of the day I’m wondering why I didn’t get any writing done. I was busy but was it doing the RIGHT things?? Being retired makes it that much harder to stay focused—few if any deadlines, stay up late, sleep late, it rarely matters.
FOCUS. You’re such a talented writer, Karen. Love your ideas … you just need to sit your butt down and not get up until you’ve gotten the words onto the page. You can 100% do this.
KINDNESS. This makes me want to cry our world needs this so much, Sandee. The world feels so divided these days, THANK YOU for being part of the solution. xoxoxo
Horizon
Oooh, I hadn’t even considered HORIZON. So intriguing. What made you choose that? Happy 2020!
Oh man, I have such a hideous head cold right now my only word is “breathe”. Although, that is a good word for 2020. Take a deep breath to center myself, realize that yes, life can throw me curves, but I can roll with them. Tomorrow will take care of itself if I can focus on what I need to do for me today. Relax. Unplug. Look at a blank screen and not go screaming for a candy. I can do this!
Helllllo, Sarah! BREATHE is actually a great word for 2020. Breathe out fear, breathe in love. Breathe out frustration, breathe in patience. Breathe in life’s ups and downs. Ebbs and flows.
I also have a nasty head cold right now. I’ve had for almost week now, and yesterday was the first day I stopped fighting it. Rather than thinking resentful thoughts about it. I spent about 10 minutes by myself, just sitting there with it and trying to befriend it (I KNOW how weird that sounds, but we’re both writers, so you already understand that I’m a bit kooky). It told me to SLOW DOWN. By the end of my 10 minutes, I felt calmer. It didn’t magically make my cold go away, but I did feel calmer and better. Last night, I slept 8 rock solid hours, which is the first time that has happened in WEEKS.
Breathe is great word for the New Year. Happy 2020, sweet Sarah.
Persevere–that’s my word for 2020. We’ve been clearing out clutter to sell our house. I never knew so much could accumulate in so few years. Anyway, I haven’t had as much time to write as I’d like. So, I’m going to persevere and keep writing, one way or another.
PERSEVERE. Fantastic word … so much strength to it. I so understand about clutter (they were able to save over 90% of our belongings from the house fire, and now I’m just down to junk). You can do this, Elizabeth. Stop fighting the time crunch, and do the best you can. Happy writing + 2020!
My word is pray. There are so many things and people that I know I need to pray for and about, and often I forget or I’m too tired, or any number of other excuses. This year I am going to spend that time that it takes to just pray.
PRAY. How wonderfully kind of you. Our world is in desperate need of prayers. I hope 2020 is wonderful, prayerful year for you! Thanks for your comment.
I think my word will be ACTIVE.
This has three meanings:
1) I want to be more physically active (especially do workouts and get stronger)
2) I want to pursue more active hobbies instead of passive ones (for example photo editing, crocheting, hand-lettering instead of watching TV etc.)
3) I want to get active against climate change and join one of the local groups to save the planet
These are some of my top priorities right now, so I think the word fits well!
Thanks for the interesting approach to goal setting, I think just focusing on one word will be easier than having a whole list of goals.
Greetings, Tanja
WOW, Tanja – this is FANTASTIC. ACTIVE is the perfect word for you, and what interesting hobbies you’re pursuing. I love it, and think you’re going to have an incredible 2020 + decade. Good luck!