Word of the year... shmord of the year

(I'm a grown-up, honest 👀)

Happy new year from ol’ bendy wrists

Hello!

Do you have a ‘word for the year?’

Confession time: I don't do word of the years...

Except, I kind of do. Let me explain :D

I don't do word of the years (anymore), because I learnt I struggle with connecting to the words themselves.

For example, peace, or focus, or ease... are all great candidates for Word of the Year. Yet they are nothing without the feeling behind them.

This is where I was going wrong.

I was trying to find a word that would encompass all my intentions and 'sum up' my vibe for the year.

And really, it was just something I didn't connect with.

Instead, I now connect to a feeling.

I imagine how I feel when I'm at my best now. I imagine how a future (desired) version of me feels.

I can't always describe this feeling in words. But at the moment, a close enough approximation would be 'purposeful.'

So that's my word of the year. Purposeful.

But it's also so much more than that. It's a feeling that makes me feel grounded, AND moving forward. It's a feeling that gives me intention. It's a feeling that sits in my stomach and makes me smile at the same time.

I don’t really care what the ‘word’ is. I care about the feeling of it.

Oh, also, I need to practise* it — a lot. I can't just leave it as 'word of the year' and forget about it.

I know that works for some people. It lodges in their unconscious brains and does all sorts of magic.

But for me, I like to reconnect with 'that feeling' as much as possible. (I mean, it feels good, so who wouldn't want to practise it all the time?)

(*When I say ‘practise’ I don’t mean practise as a chore. I mean the type of practice you can fall out of when you love someone, and then forget to let them know, or show it. You can fall back in to that practice.)

I hope that makes sense. To be honest, my biggest encouragement to anyone struggling with a 'word for the year' is to go back to that tried and tested message that not everything is for everyone. And you can always do it your own way.

Having said that, DO you have a word for the year? Do you imagine and guide your future another other way? I'd love to know :)

Happy new 2024 btw :)
Kathryn

PS. I’m on LinkedIn! I know, random announcement! If you want to ‘connect,’ please do come over and say hello. Or, if you just want to have a nosey, please do!