2018 Word of the Year: Choice
There is something about starting the week on Tuesday that makes the week seem so much more manageable. Four day week instead of five? I’ll take it! That being said, I’m eyeing up taking a few days off for a stay-cation, to refresh myself and get ready to take on the spring.
I’ve been hearing a lot about choosing a word of the year and felt particularly inspired by the Happier in Hollywood and Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcasts to choose a word. The thing is – how do you choose a word? How do you figure out what in the world you want to accomplish in the next 365 days? Can you choose wrong? (Oh, hey anxiety!)
2018 Word of the Year
I spent the past two weeks reflecting on 2017. Last year was tough. For every good thing that happened, it felt as if five bad things happened. 2017 felt like a deep pit that I felt stuck in. No matter what I tried to do, it all felt like too much.
That being said, while reflecting, I recognize looking back that sometimes, I leaned into this feeling. Not perpetuating it, but using all of the struggles and stress as an excuse. An excuse to eat poorly and not exercise and to not have the best attitude and to have cocktails during the week. The result is that I no longer feel like my best self. I feel tired and I don’t feel healthy and this is contributing to me still feeling overwhelmed and not in control.
So as I thought of words of the year, a few came up – control, choice, and ownership. They all are pointing to the same concept but in different ways. I like the idea that I have control, but in truth, I don’t always have control. That’s life and that’s okay. Ownership also came up, as in taking ownership of the choices I make. This is getting a little closer to my intent.
I ultimately decide on a word of the year: choice.
Choice seems to encompass control and ownership, with a more positive spin. To me, choice means that when an opportunity arises or a decision has to be made, I get to choose how I respond. I cannot control everything (nor do I want to), but I can make choices based on what is going on in my life. This may be related to being busy – I choose to work full-time and go to school – or health – I choose to get up in the morning to workout, or not work out. What it means is that I make choices every day, and those choices contribute to my overall well-being and happiness.
Choice. I get to choose each day and I want to make choices that make me a better me.