I used to write down goals for the new year, stick to them for a couple months, and then they fell off the radar. Sound familiar?
I heard about people picking one word instead and focusing on that word for the year. A word that embodies what you’d like to see out of yourself in the new year — kind of like your theme for the year.
In 2019, I gave it a go and I loved it. It really worked for me. I thought about “my word” all year long. So, what was that word? For 2019, it was “transform.”
I wanted to grow and transform and feel a difference in myself from the beginning of 2019 to the end. It was a little deep, but was exactly what I needed. Looking back, I feel like I did transform. I read more books this year than ever before, studied things that were brand new to me, took more time for myself and my family, and made efforts to understand things that weren’t common to me. I think I grew a lot.
Choosing your word can be personal or something fun you do with your entire family. It can be something simple, too, like “thankful.” Maybe you just want to remember how blessed you are and that no matter what, you can be thankful.
Last year, we got our entire office at work involved and made a 2019 “word of the year” sign in which everyone contributed. It was so neat to see what everyone came up with, and it was a great way to do a little team building.
So, what’s my word for 2020? “Patience.” Here’s why: I love hiking and visiting Wyoming, and on my last trip there, I learned something interesting. Back in 1869, Wyoming passed the first unconditional law in the U.S. permanently guaranteeing women their inherent right to vote and hold office. (Yay, Wyoming!) But here’s the crazy part: it took a full 50 years before women in the rest of the nation were guaranteed this same right. I thought about this little fact again because things don’t always progress as fast as we’d like. It’s frustrating. I’m always trying to rush my progress.
So for 2020, I want to remind myself of what St. Augustine once said, “Patience is the companion of wisdom.” This doesn’t mean sitting still and not doing anything, but having diligence and faith in my journey.
Need a little help thinking of some “word” themes in 2020? Here’s a quick list of 15 ideas!
Positivity
Focus
Gratitude
Grace
Thankful
Faith
Family
Persevere
Dream
Balance
Hopeful
Smile
Courage
Humble
Discipline
