Word of the Year

This year my word of the year is going to be BALANCE. 

I have the bad habit of jumping in with both feet and that means if I have a new project, other things fall by the wayside. I need to be better about finding balance in the things I do.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Word of the Year

This year I want my word of the year to be:

 CONTENT.

When I looked up the definition of content, I found one that said it meant “in a state of peaceful happiness.” I really liked that thought.

I want to be content with what I have. I don’t want to look for more in order to be happy. I want to be happy with the here and now.

Word of the Year - Delight

My word of the year for 2022 is 

DELIGHT.

The definition of delight is great pleasure.

I want to focus on finding things that are delightful and bring me joy.

I think society is so full of negative vibes from politics to pandemics that I want to focus on the things that make me happy.

I looked up synonyms for the word delight and this is what caught my attention:

• Happiness
• Gladness
• Enchantment
• Zest
• Wow
• Glee
• Jubilation
• Exhilaration
• Enjoyment
• Merriment
• Satisfaction
• Ecstasy
• Cheerfulness
• Fascination
• Dazzle
• Amusement
• Contentment

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Word of the Year – Mindfulness

My word of the year for 2021 is MINDFULNESS

According to Dictionary.com:

The definition of Mindfulness is

“the state or quality of being mindful or aware of something.”

I know there are things I’ve done in the past that I wish I hadn’t done. I know that I miss my parents and all the things I miss telling them.

I know that sometimes I worry about the future and things that may happen. I worry about a lot of “what ifs” that may never happen.

By worrying about the past and the future, I miss out on stuff that is happening now. I hope to focus on things that are happening in the present time so I can appreciate it more.

I want to be more mindful of my surroundings, emotions, and situations as they happen.

What is your word for the year? Please share.

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Thinking of January

It is at this time that I think of how I want to start the new year. I don’t like resolutions, but I do like setting goals. This might be something you want to do so when you see your students again, you will be able to share examples with them.

Here are some ideas:

• Reflection of the previous year
• Word of the Year
• Goals for the Year (to be reviewed monthly)

What I like about the new year is that it makes me feel like I have a fresh new start. I start with a clean blank slate and I can make this year whatever I choose to make it.

I am not powerless. My mental attitude can make a big difference on how this year turns out. There are many things I can’t control but the one thing I can control are my own actions.

Reflecting on the previous year helps me see what changes I might want to make in the upcoming year.

My word of the year helps me stay focused on what mental attitude I want to have.

Reviewing my goals monthly keeps me on track and makes my goals more likely to be accomplished.

Once I have these done, I will have my students do the same activities and keep in a journal. Every month, I will have them review their word and their goals to see if they are moving forward. Each month gives them a brand new start if they need the motivation to continue to work towards their goals.

What plans do you have for the new year? Please share.

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Word of the Year – Flexibility

This year my word of the year is FLEXIBILITY.

According to Dictionary.com, flexibility means:

“susceptible of modification or adaptation; adaptable”

I have a lot of trouble with flexibility in my life. I like routines and rules. I like everything to be in black and white. I don’t like gray areas. I like schedules and knowing what to expect.

This year I want to be able to merge what I like with flexibility. I can still have my schedules and routines, but I need to have alternatives. I need to be prepared for when my routine and schedule isn’t going to work. I need to be more spontaneous and accepting when my schedules and routines are thrown out the window.

It is not the end of the world if my routine is not followed. The only one that routines mean anything to are me and if the day is different than the routine I expected, it is okay. In fact, it can end up being more fun.

I have ended up seeing my  routines and schedules as my safety net. As long as I stick to what I have planned, I feel safe. But by playing it safe, sometimes I miss out on opportunities that could be fun and bring more happiness to myself and others.

I am going to write this word on post-it notes and put them in several places that I see regularly in order to remind myself about this.

Do you have a word you want to focus on this year? Please share.

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Word of the Year – Joy

Every year I like to pick a word that will be my theme for the year. This year I decided to pick the word JOY.

The word JOY makes me feel happy. Even saying the word brings JOY into my heart.

This year I want to find JOY in the things I do, the people I interact with, and the places that I go to.

Once I find JOY in these things, I want to savor the feeling of JOY. Sometimes I don’t spend enough time enjoying this good feeling and I tend to move on to other things too quickly.

So, this year I will be experiencing JOY in my life. I hope you do too!

What word would your students choose for this year? This would be a great topic for discussion for this new year. 

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Word of the Year – Creative

Last year my word was simple and I really did a good job with it. I didn’t over commit myself and saying no got easier and easier. Even though I appreciate the many opportunities, I knew that I would be happier by not agreeing to things I didn’t want to do at that time. Hopefully I can keep it up this year.

This year’s word is going to be CREATIVE. I want to be more creative in my life.

I’m going to do some graphic bible journaling. Each week I will take a verse and draw pictures to show what this verse makes me feel.

I hope to design another shawl and sock pattern this year.

I want to do more digital scrapbook pages.

I want to take better photos this year.

I want to cook better dinner dishes that are tasty but still healthy.

I will write this on an index card and keep it by my bathroom mirror so I see it each morning. This will be a reminder that I need to look at things from different perspectives.

What word would you want to remember this year? Please share.

Word of the Year – Simple

Last year’s word was focus and I think I did a great job doing that. I made a conscious effort of focusing on the present and enjoying life.

Looking back over the year I noticed that I worked hard on my goals and doing other projects that I wanted to do. But I also made a lot of it more complicated than it needed to be. This took some of the joy out of doing all of them and made them a little more stressful than intended.

This year I want focus on keeping things more simple.

I want to list some goals but I want to keep them simple so they will be easier to achieve.

I want to start projects but keep them simple and easier to complete.

When I am asked to be involved in different things, I will ask myself if it will keep my life simple or will it make it more complicated. This will help me make the right decision.

What is your word for the year? Please share.