I was introduced to the concept of choosing a focus word for
the New Year by a dear friend who was participating in the One Little Word
scrap-booking challenge. I did eventually sign up, but abandoned ship after the
first month when I realized that my capacities and supplies for creating visual
art of any form were limited. The idea of selecting a word to grow into over
the course of the year stuck with me, though, and I’ve continued the practice.
As the old year closes, I pick a word that speaks to me—a
word that embodies a change I need to make or something I’d like to expand in
my life. I always make a collage of magazine photos and text that exemplify
that trait or concept. The collage isn’t exactly a vision board, just a
cut-and-paste visual reminder of my word. I hang it in a place of honor in my
bathroom—don’t laugh, that idea came from a licensed therapist—where I see it
often enough to prod my mind into remembering it.
The first year I tried it, my word was SHINE. I’d finished
cancer treatment at the end of 2010, was sporting a half-inch buzz cut, and
needed a little confidence to carry me into 2011. The life-changing outcomes of
that word were remarkable. I earned a slot as a community columnist for the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and traded my classroom for an office, leaving the
comfort of kindergarten for a higher profile role as a student support teacher,
moves that grew my people skills and pushed me past the shyness that had
plagued my social interactions since childhood.
In 2012 I focused on JOY. I took the time to notice and
celebrate the little things. I made time for the things I liked to do. I loved
running, so I tackled training for my first marathon. I loved writing, so I
committed myself to writing something—anything—every day. The demands of my job
increased that year, as did the stress level and time commitment required to do
it well, so the focus on enjoyment was instrumental to my sanity.
I was still floundering with the manuscript I kept rewriting
and sending out. My angst over if and when I would ever finish and publish the
book led me to 2013’s word: BELIEVE. The word was put into unexpected use when
my student support position was cut, and again when I got the unfortunate news
that the community columnist program would be ending at the end of the year. My
belief that there must be a higher purpose behind the changes helped me to
navigate the transitions with faith and trust that all would be well.
2014’s word was SIMPLIFY. At the end of 2013, I felt
scattered and adrift, constantly at loose ends in my responsibilities and
relationships. My simplification process was designed to eliminate as many of
the unnecessary, emotionally draining situations in my life as possible. I
released my death-grip on friendships that no longer worked, let go of
impossible expectations and my tendency toward perfectionism. I circled the
wagons around my mental and emotional health in a conscious act of
self-preservation, and invested my energy in self-acceptance. I practiced
paying attention to my own needs instead of constantly deferring to someone
else’s, and finally began to make peace with my natural preferences for
solitude, quiet, and introverted introspection.
My focal word for 2015 was PROSPERITY. It wasn’t meant to be
a search for monetary wealth, but more of an exploration of how much was
“enough” in my life. With a good deal of journaling and soul-searching, I came
to the realization that if my perpetual search for a publisher for my
manuscript was a source of angst, then the pain of rejection from traditional
publishing venues was a self-inflicted misery that I could eliminate. It boiled
down to a very simple choice: I could either continue to sit on my manuscript
in fear that my writing wasn’t good enough, or I could accept that I’d done the
best I could and get the story into the world where it might actually help
people. I took the brave leap into self-publishing, and I have no regrets.
The word that’s marinating in my mind for 2016 is OPEN. I’m
ready—I think—to push past some self-imposed limitations and fears, to open
myself to the world of possibility and the promise of new opportunities. I
picture a gilded door opening…and wonder where this word will lead me.