I have done this every year since 2017 and it’s awesome…
After setting myself up for failure every year by having a LONG list of goals, I decided for 2017 that I would have one goal. Ok- make it even easier. NEW YEAR’S GOALS: Choose A WORD instead of a list of goals! It worked out really well, so I am going to do it again this year.
Last year my word was a fun, uplifting word that helped me throughout the entire year- JOY. I realized how joy could help in every aspect of my life- if you look for ways to have joy, you can find it.
In the fall of 2017, my sister-in-law asked me what lesson has been hardest for me to learn. What is something that keeps coming up over and over that I get to keep practicing (to put it nicely!)? I knew right off… Standing up for myself. Yes, I will do almost anything to avoid confrontation. I like to be easygoing. I like people to like me. I’m not great at explaining myself. She said, “How could we get that to one word? Maybe Courage?” Oh, no. Not that word! That’s a scary word for me. I knew if I was going to keep growing as I wanted in all aspects of my life for 2018 I had to choose the word courage. SO for the rest of the year, I REALLY loved the word JOY. I knew the next year was going to be tough, so enjoy JOY! It was really helpful at Christmas time. I usually get pretty stressed because I love simple and Christmas at my house is never that. It’s anything but smooth and uncomplicated buying for 12 children. It was helpful to step back and think, why am I doing this and how can I find joy in it. I did it! Not that I didn’t ask Matt to please, please help me so next year I don’t have to do this! He’s heard it before, “Let’s just go on a trip and not buy many presents!” That is the plan for next year. I’ll let you know if I have the courage to do it. The time has come to say goodbye to my word of the year even though it is in my heart now forever.
So here it is, 2018. I promise it was not easy to erase the huge word JOY off my mirror. As I was writing the new word on the mirror, I was listening to a talk about standing up.
Then it hit me, the statement of my life is STAND UP AND LIVE- it has deep meaning to me. So I am writing courage and thinking about Standing up and decided right there and then that this year I need to have the COURAGE to stand up. Stand up for me, stand up for others and for what is right. It all worked out and once again I was excited about my word. My last name is Lyons and lions are known to have courage so I can do this!
Consider this…
