This year, instead of writing new year’s resolutions, I decided to do something a little different. I didn’t make a list of things that I will vow to change and then quit halfway through January, I decided to make a one-word theme for the year.
Having a “word for the year” gives you the chance to make gradual progress, give yourself grace for the process, and have something to look forward to throughout the year. Your word can be anything from “creativity” to “hope” to “vulnerability,” but having that word can help you to understand the season that you’re in, and to shape your choices towards that goal day-in and day-out.
My Word for 2017: Brave
As soon as I thought about finding a word for 2017, I just knew what it would be. The only way to describe the way that I found my word for this year was that it settled in my spirit and kept poking me. Bravery isn’t something that I think about very often, or even something that I consider to be one of my top values, but I just couldn’t shake it.
I decided to look up “brave” in a dictionary, and as I did, it started to make sense. Synonyms for “brave” include “bold,” “courageous,” “dauntless,” “gallant,” “greathearted,” “gutsy,” “heroic,” “stalwart,” “undaunted,” and “valiant.” That is exactly the kind of person that I want to be. I want to wholeheartedly pursue the things that matter most to me, and I don’t want to let anything―least of all, my fears―stand in my way.
In 2017, I want to confidently and joyfully be who I am, and to do so, I must spit in the face of my fear of rejection. I want to take ownership of every area of my life: fitness, finances, time management, mental health, faith, and character. To accomplish this, I must hold my own against my fear of never being good enough. I want to boldly take risks, try new things, and live outside of the box. I must defiantly stand up against my fear of failure.
Inevitably, I will fail. At some point, I will be too scared to face my problems, I will take the easy choice instead of the one that’s good for me, and I will shy away from the hard conversations in community. But that is why I have a theme instead of a resolution. Because the next day, I will get up and try again. I will keep on pursuing what it looks like to be a woman of courage, and in correcting my little slip-ups, I will grow all the more.
How to Find Your Own Word
A word for the year is not so much about what you want to do as the kind of person that you want to be. It’s about creating a vision that encompasses the “why” for all of the little steps along the way. It’s about discovering the deepest longings of your heart, and then spending all year setting your course in that direction by your daily choices.
Maybe you already know what your word is, and maybe it was obvious as soon as you started reading this article. But not all words come instantly. If you don’t have a word, but you want one, here are a few practical steps for discovering your word:
1. Get alone, get still, and get quiet. 12:00 in Peirce is not really the place for soul-searching. If you want to let your heart speak, then you need to let all of the other noises cease. Go where no one is around, turn off your phone, get comfortable, and sit in silence.
2. Let the business of your mind and emotions calm down. I’m fairly practiced at getting still, but even now, it is way easier for me to calm my body than my mind. The key is to let your thoughts go where they please, but keep focusing back to stillness and finding your heart.
3. Wait for an answer. It may take some time, but be content in waiting.
4. Write down everything that comes to mind. When “brave” first popped up, I dismissed it offhand, because I thought it was silly. But it kept coming back, and so I finally wrote it down. Writing things down actually helps you get to what’s really important, and seeing it on paper lets you identify it.
5. Sort through what you wrote and reflect. It may be that not everything that you wrote down is important, or even relevant, but at least something will probably resonate, and you can keep that, and ignore the rest.
6. Use your word as a launching pad to dream. Take some time to dream about what you want 2017 to look like, and how applying that word will change your life.
7. Display it. Use your word as your lock screen, or hang it somewhere you’ll see it every day, so that when you see it, you remember to pursue your dream.
Having a word for the year, or for any season of life, has helped to keep me motivated in pursuing my dreams and taught me how to make the daily choices that add up to life transformation over time. I hope that finding your word will inspire you, and help you to be the amazing person that you are!
Image Credit: Maggie Griffin