One Word For 2019

Whoa, whoa, whoa. It seems like everyone and their mom is going straight from Halloween to Christmas with a snap of their finger. Me? I’m trying to figure out how the heck there’s only 60 days left in the year and hold on to 2018 as long as I can!

That being said, I wanted to put something on your radar. I’ve made a habit of doing this for the past 3 years and I think it’s my favorite thing about the new year.

Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s nothing crazy but it gives you direction.

Ready?

It’s better than a resolution, it’s a word.

Yep! A word. You pick one that you want your year to be about. One word that you want to focus on, remember, and do. It’s a word that helps you navigate what’s important, who you want to be, what you envision for your year and a way to check in with that.

Let's establish that it doesn't just have to be one word, but that's the idea. It can be a few or a phrase, but I've learned that by picking one word I'm able to simplify my vision.

See, usually the new year is about setting a big goal. A resolution. Something that you’re going to stick to. Exercising, eating healthy, reading, journaling, whatever it is, it’s always set with good intentions. But often those intentions aren’t followed through with. We make up excuses and then we get frustrated when we’ve strayed and then we stray even more and become more frustrated.

Insert the one word idea here.

It's the foundation of what you want your year to be. It's a check in for how you're spending your time, what you're moving forward with, the books you read, the shows you watch, the people you hang out with. Your one word is a check in for is this helping me "blank"? Have I "blanked" lately? How can I "blank" today?

The one word idea isn’t in place of resolutions, I still make them too, it’s just the bigger picture. It's a quite, a map, a check in for what you want your year to be about.

It’s a vision for what you want your year to be and giving yourself enough grace to come back to it if you stray.

For me, the one word isn't as threatening as a resolution. When I miss a resolution, I go in to a 'well maybe next year' mode. With the one year, I'm able to regain my focus, vision, and pep for making some changes to make sure my year is about that word.

Here’s my past 3 years for reference.

2016: Go. Do. (See, I chose two words here.)

2017: Focus.

2018: Create.

Go. Do. Never did I think I'd live in Kenya for 3 months but I guess that's what happens when you go first and then do. You find yourself in some pretty awesome situations.

2016: This is when I first heard about the one word idea. I had spent the previous 3 years wanting to travel, and finally put myself in a position to see what happened when I did. I didn't want it to just be Go because then what? And I didn't want it to just be Do because what was I doing? So I chose two words to kick this tradition off. Go. Do. 3 months solo backpacking through Europe, 3 months in Kenya, and meeting my now husband while volunteering with a disaster relief organization I’d say it was a good start.

Focus. I had met this man I was madly in love with but wanted to reel all the things in my life back in. I needed to center. To focus. PS, look at those beautiful blue eyes of that husband of mine!

2017: I’d just met Scott but I very much wanted to focus on what I was going to do post traveling. I knew I didn’t want to jump back in to the 9-5 but what did that mean? I wanted to make something of my opportunity, this position I was in. Also, meeting Scott, I realized I was an all over the place person. I could do about 30 things at once and feel good about it when in reality I wasn’t being present. 2017 was a BIG year for me and growing and focusing and being present.

Create. Speaking of that husband of mine...he's been so great at pushing, encouraging, and helping me focus on my word Create this year.

2018: 2017 had given me the vision I needed to make this lifestyle a career. I knew I would have to create every day in order to try and fail and learn and grow. Scott is leaps and bounds ahead of me in photography and videography but I knew I had to learn and create everyday for myself to grow in business and as a person to make this work.

Here’s some other words friends and family have used in the past: Listen. Better. Time. Prioritize. Zest.

There's no right or wrong for your word, it's for you!

Friend, what do you want your 2019 to be about. It seems the older I get the faster the time flies. If we only get one chance to live this life, let’s make sure we live it with intention amiright? Hmmmmm....that's a good word to consider, intention.

It's November 2nd. I challenge you to start thinking about your 2019 word today. Start thinking about how you can make it the best, fullest, most rich at heart year yet.

Is this a year of building for you? Of going at this word solo? Of doing something totally, completely different than you are now? Of slowing down and doing less? Of kicking it in to gear and doing more? Of spending more time alone or with friends or with family?

I think we're at our best when we're living with intention. When we don't have a plan but a vision for our lives. When we're living boldly, fully, and presently.

Seriously consider what you want your 2019 self and life to look like and then pick yourself a word to guide you. I can't wait to hear about your word in 60 days. Stay tuned for mine too!

The best, always. Live boldly,

Steph