Word of the Year

Here is a little ritual I do every year: I sit down and reflect on my word of the year and I spend some time picking a new word for the new year. It's a simple thing, but it has huge ramifications. It is something I have done for several years.

Devoted. Creation. Priestess. Work. Freedom. Build.

Why word of the year?

I prefer this process to the more traditional resolutions, mainly for the sake of flexibility. I think an example works best. Lets say I make a resolution to read X amount of books in the year. It's concrete and easy to track, certainly. And perhaps I start strong! For a few months there's a lot of reading and new books arriving frequently. But, then, maybe I am really taken by a particular thing I came across. And I want to dive into that idea, with research, and maybe other books if I can find. Or maybe a class or some hands-on experience. And before I know it, I'm “off track” as far as my resolution is concerned, because my focus shifted.

But, lets say I picked a word for the year instead. I can even use my resolution to help decide: I want to ready more books, but why? Am I trying to take more time for myself? Or looking to expand my horizons? Maybe I'm just tired of a bookshelf of somedays and maybes – there are several reasons, and they aren't mutually exclusive. So, perhaps I sit and think about that desire to read more books and I decide my word should be Learn. Now, that mid-year shift into wanting to researching or take a class is no longer a road block, but a new expression of the same idea.

Approach your word of the year from mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual perspectives.

The real magic though, is when I take that word and I look at it in every area of my life. I can look at learning from a mental (the books, of course), emotional (maybe this is retrospective, or therapeutic), physical (a new form of movement to discover), and spiritual (exploring mythologies or traditions) perspectives. And now that one word has expanded to touch every part of my life. (As a bonus, I'm sure you've realized that you can do both! Have a word of year and use it guide your goals – the best of both worlds.)

Okay, but how do you decide?

I usually start with a list, and let myself float between lots of ideas without needing to commit to anything right away. I keep my list in my journal, and I add to it throughout most of December. Sometimes I will see words repeating themselves, popping up in unexpected places. Those go on the list. This year, some contenders were: praxis, practice, tradition, service.

The next step is my favorite because I am a nerd: I look up each word, with close attention to the etymology. Where did it come from, and how has it's meaning changed. Sometimes you find a word that you don't want to steep yourself in for a year looming in the history. A great example of this, for me, is Service, which was a contender a few years ago too. But, it comes from the Latin servus, meaning slave, and that (still) sits uneasy for me. Not to imply that that word “service” and all it's relations are bad, but it does raise some questions, doesn't it?

Usually at this point, I will have decided on the one. Sitting with those meanings and thinking about how they might impact various areas of my life is exactly what I need to choose. And, sometimes, the right word just sticks in a why the other don't. Intuition won't lead you astray here, I promise.

So... Now what?

Now, embrace it! Put it in your journal – give it a page for you to add insights to through out the year. Put it on your mirror. Make it the title of your alarm every morning. Reflect on it as the year goes on (I like to use the solstices & equinoxes) and notice how it pops up in your life. Make those goals to support it. Let it infuse you!

What's my word for 2021?

I have settled on Cultivate – ultimately from the Latin colere, to cultivate or inhabit. It should be a marvelous companion as we navigate re-connection and rebuilding in 2021 as a whole.