If you do a Word of the Year, what was your 2016? 2017?

[Ginevra]

I would love to hear any stories of how your word of the year played out this year, and if you have chosen a word for 2017 yet. My word for 2016 was Experience and I did have many new experiences this year, not all of them positive, though all instructive. It was a new experience when six of the properties we manage flooded in July. DH also gained a lot of experience in dealing with this new challenge. I also learned a thing or two about chicken husbandry by (foolishly) accepting two mean-assed birds into the coop. DH, who has the superior experience level in keeping chickens, warned me that this may not go well. He was right.

 

My word for 2017 is going to be Connection. :)

[MEmama]

2016 was Focus. We had some really tough times this year in between the mundane, and I found it beneficial during both.

 

2017 is Commit. It came to me during a recent sleepless night. Instantly I felt more relaxed as I worked out what, exactly, it will mean this year and how I can embrace it.

[mama25angels]

2016 was forgiveness, I did not succeed and I'm sad because I was once a forgiving person.

 

2017 none yet.

Edited December 27, 2016 by mama25angels

[Guest]

2016 was forgiveness, I did not succeed and I'm sad because I was once a forgiving person.

 

2017 none yet.

Aww. Maybe start by forgiving yourself. :)

[Dynamite5]

2016: Enough...have I done enough, do I weigh enough, to I want to do that badly enough to say yes--works in all sorts of ways!

 

2017: Brave...I'm going to need to be brave to do a lot of things this year, both personally and in the political climate in which our country is now steeped.

 

[readinmom]

2016:  autopilot...

 

2017:  HOPE

[rainbowmama]

2016: grow

 

Honestly after my stillbirth this year, I hated my word and stopped using it and started focusing on cultivating hope, which is how I chose this year's word.

 

2017: hope

[Guest]

2016: grow

 

Honestly after my stillbirth this year, I hated my word and stopped using it and started focusing on cultivating hope, which is how I chose this year's word.

 

2017: hope

I'm so sorry. :( I understand how that word would become a source of pain.

[MEmama]

2016: grow

 

Honestly after my stillbirth this year, I hated my word and stopped using it and started focusing on cultivating hope, which is how I chose this year's word.

 

2017: hope

:grouphug:

[UCF612]

2016 was Progress and I didn't make much if any progress in anything.

[scrapbookbuzz]

2016 was Focus. We had some really tough times this year in between the mundane, and I found it beneficial during both.

 

2017 is Commit. It came to me during a recent sleepless night. Instantly I felt more relaxed as I worked out what, exactly, it will mean this year and how I can embrace it.

My 2016 year was Fearless but I'm not sure I really was! 

 

But I quoted you, MEmama, because "commit" is the word that came to me 

after I prayed about what my word should be for 2017. I'll be interested in seeing

how it plays out in both of our lives. I'm not sure I'm at the peace point about it just yet! 

[MomtoCandJ]

Mhmmm I think it was learn and learned I have... and will learn some more (aw the life of a nursing student).

So once again I think my word will be learn.... though this time next year it maybe brain fried :)

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I went back to find the thread from last year and discovered I never committed to a word. Which makes sense since I kept thinking about it and could never remember what it was.

 

I'm thinking about a word for 2017. Some of the forerunners are: acceptance, forgiveness, perseverance 

[Guest]

My 2016 year was Fearless but I'm not sure I really was!

 

But I quoted you, MEmama, because "commit" is the word that came to me

after I prayed about what my word should be for 2017. I'll be interested in seeing

how it plays out in both of our lives. I'm not sure I'm at the peace point about it just yet!

IME, that is how you know that's the correct word - it nags you into acceptance. I was somewhat afraid to have Experience as my 2016 word, because that could mean a bad experience, right? But it was the right word and we had many learning experiences this year, not all of them pleasant, but all useful.

[displace]

I've never heard of this, but it sounds like an interesting idea. Is it something you focus on yourself?

 

If so, I'd like to try! Mine for 2017 would be patience: patience with myself, my family, my homeschooling, my schedule, my life. Things don't always happen overnight, and that's ok.

[DawnM]

I did not create a word for 2016, and didn't know about the other thread, but I can tell you that word would have been CHANGE.

 

I knew some things needed to change.  I was unhappy in some areas of my life and the kids were needing some changes for themselves and from me.

 

We changed.  The kids went to school.  I started back to a full time job.  DH started working from home 3 days per week.  I quit our homeschooling group, our scout troop, and my volunteering at church.  Not all of that was bad, but I had to in order to go back to work.

 

We had planned to change our living location, but that ended up not happening.  

 

My word for 2017:

 

ELIMINATION

 

I would like to eliminate the excess:  Debt, excess weight, clutter

 

I don't have any over the top resolutions, but a healthy start would be sufficient.  I am pretty sure we can pay off the home improvement loan, which is the main goal.  As far as weight, I would like to lose about half of the weight I need to lose.  If I lose more, all the better, but that is a more attainable goal.  And clutter.....I am bad at this and have minimal goals......go through one room per month, possibly not fully tackling the basement, we will see.

[NikiSC]

2016: Faithful- in my calling as a wife, mother, homeschooler, etc. It really anchored me and I had more growth than in several previous years. I still have lots of room for improvement in that area😊.

 

2017:Abandon- I struggle with perfectionism which has led me to be very legalistic (that's very hard to admit). This year my goal is to abandon those legalistic thoughts and attitudes, as well as negative self image. On the flip side, I want to live with abandon- loving, living, giving AND receiving freely.

It feels perfect but pretty scary at the same time!

[NikiSC]

2016: grow

 

Honestly after my stillbirth this year, I hated my word and stopped using it and started focusing on cultivating hope, which is how I chose this year's word.

 

2017: hope

(((Hugs)))

[MEmama]

I've never heard of this, but it sounds like an interesting idea. Is it something you focus on yourself?

 

If so, I'd like to try! Mine for 2017 would be patience: patience with myself, my family, my homeschooling, my schedule, my life. Things don't always happen overnight, and that's ok.

Yes! That's it exactly.

 

Here's some info, since you are interested. You totally don't have to do the classes or scrapbook or anything. How one approaches it and works it in to their life is very personal. Sounds like you found the perfect word for you! :)

 

http://aliedwards.com/one-little-word

[luuknam]

2016 was Cleanliness...

 

[looks around living room]

 

:lol:

 

I don't have a word for 2017 yet. IIRC 2015 was Health, and iirc 2014 was the first year I did a word but I can't think of it right now (Doing? - I don't quite think that was it, but something like that, I think).

[Guest]

Yes! That's it exactly.

 

Here's some info, since you are interested. You totally don't have to do the classes or scrapbook or anything. How one approaches it and works it in to their life is very personal. Sounds like you found the perfect word for you! :)

 

http://aliedwards.com/one-little-word

My view of the word is even a bit more woo-woo than this. I mentally embrace the word I have chosen and I watch to see what The Universe/God turns up that matches the word. I don't scrapbook it or try to journal about the word, I just look for ways that things relate to the word.

 

So, for example, my word this year was Experience, but I didn't take that and say, "What can I do...take Italian cooking classes so I can gain more experience in something specific?" It was more that, when something came my way, I would say, "How can this experience help me learn and grow as a person?" KWIM?

[mommymonster]

Two years ago, my word was THRIVE. That was a good year -- the boys really turned a corner and started to blossom.

 

Last year, my word was ESSENTIALISM (based on a book I read). It was a useful word for the year. We dealt with a ton of changes this year, and the word tended to guide my response to the those changes. We dealt with DH's job loss, a potential cross-country move, and me going back to work full time with DH staying at home with the boys. It has been one of those years that we survived, but didn't necessarily enjoy.

 

For 2017, I'm going to focus on JOY. Because man, last year really didn't involve any. I'm not sure that this year will be much better, but my focus is finding small moments of JOY.

[Pawz4me]

Last month DH and I kind of jointly chose our word for 2017: Simplify

[luuknam]

It's a bit frivolous, and I'm probably not giving 2017's word the amount of respect it deserves, but it's going to be... Levity.

[Soror]

For the life of me I could not pick a word for last year and it ended up being quite a topsy turvy year. There is a song we sing in church, City of God with the words "May our tears be turned into dancing" that is about the best descriptor I can think of my year, tears and dancing, literal and metaphoric.

 

I don't know that I have a specific word for this year quite yet, I've been working on focusing, my primary thought is NOW. Focusing on the present, living in the moment. But I could just as easily pick a different direction, I've been trying out a lot of new things and things are starting to happen, as of now I don't know the exact direction I'm headed but I'm enjoying the process. I'm enjoying finding myself again after too long of not knowing where/what I was in there. 

 

I've worked hard on reducing stress too and have done quite well in that regards. I will have to be mindful when I'm adding in new things that I don't tip the balance.

 

Some areas I let go too much, finances especially. We need to work on increasing our short term savings and that will only be done with some diligence from both dh and I. However, I think I needed to let go too much to find a more balanced approach, somewhere for dh and I meet in the middle. Saving for the future and the what-ifs but also enjoying the current time as well. I realized quite clearly this year that one big regert I had was that we didn't take a big trip when we had the money, we wanted to be the responsible ones. I don't plan to make that mistake again. We hope to get a good chunk of savings put aside but we will be putting some aside for some wants and for some travel as well, life is too short.

 

In health and fitness, I need to just keep on, keeping on :) 

[FloridaLisa]

My 2016: RESPOND. As in, be ready to respond to God's nudges, His call, his leading. I was actually a bit nervous b/c I thought "Oh dear. God is going to ask me to do something big/crazy/hard and I'm going to have to learn to respond." But that didn't really happen. It was way more subtle and not at all nerve-wracking. 

 

My 2017 word: BOLD. I have areas where I tend to shrink back. I'm much like you, Quill, waiting to see how God will grow and develop this word in my life. I don't *make* the word happen so much as look for circumstances to practice it. 

 

 

[Janeway]

2016 <sigh>

2017 change

[alisoncooks]

2016:  healing

And I did heal but it was such a passive thing, really.

 

I've decided that after years of choosing words that require little effort on my part, I'm going big.  I'm tired of floating along and just accepting what comes; this year I'm going to be purposeful.  

 

So my 2017 word is BIG.   Big changes, big weight loss, big intention and action.  I have a BIG list of goals for the year and I'm going to put forth BIG effort.

[Epicurean]

I didn't have a word last year, but this year it's going to be HAPPINESS. I'm reading a ton of books on the subject to get me energized:

 

The Happiness Project

Happier at Home

Better than Before

Designing Your Life

Spark Joy

The Daily Stoic

The Guide to the Good Life: The Art of Stoic Joy

 

I'm really going to try focusing on loving this season of life this year.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Epicurean

[elegantlion]

2016 was alacritas - meaning zeal and persistence. I think I accomplished some of that. I have a readiness, I think, which was also one of the points of the word. 

 

 

2017 is going to be fortis. It is Latin for strength as in physical or mental courage. The goals I started in 2016, some are done, some need to be finished and I'm quite anxious about a few. I will need both mental and physical strength to get through them all this upcoming year. 

[porque]

In 2014 my word was Confidence- I would say this worked- ultimately I went back to school, got my teaching credential and am now teaching. Things I had not previously considered and in the past would have had all kinds of excuses for not doing.

I can't remember my 2015 or 2016 words- I think because I was so focused on school and my first year teaching.

 

For 2017 my word is Appreciate- appreciate those around me, the beauty I live in, etc.

 

 Kinda funny-one year I chose the word "initiative" for my son.  It didn't work.

[Blossom'sGirl]

I just got my word yesterday

 

2016 - Refreshed

 

2017 - Restoration

[scrapbookbuzz]

My 2016 year was Fearless but I'm not sure I really was! 

 

But I quoted you, MEmama, because "commit" is the word that came to me 

after I prayed about what my word should be for 2017. I'll be interested in seeing

how it plays out in both of our lives. I'm not sure I'm at the peace point about it just yet! 

Yes, I'm quoting myself. B-)

 

Simply to say that I'm at the acceptance point of "commit" as my word for 2017.

Peace has yet to come.

[PeacefulChaos]

I've been thinking for a few months already about what my word for 2017 will be.  Not actively - that's only been in the last couple weeks - but I stumbled upon something that long ago and wondered if it should be 2017's word.  I haven't decided yet for sure.

 

2015 was Live, and while it didn't quite pan out the way I expected, it was appropriate.  Which I think tends to be what happens.

2016 was/is Be, which sounds really similar to live, I guess, but I meant it differently.  And it also ended up being appropriate, even though at first glance it was sort of a cop-out of a choice.  

It's interesting, because on one hand, yes, I always know/remember what my word is for the year - but many times the ways that I look back on the year and realize how it's panned out are not quite what I was expecting.  I don't often remember 'in the moment' about the word, but then I look back and can say, 'huh, it still applied'.  I've seen that happen now with me and with some friends who have done it.  

 

So yeah, I'm still waiting to settle on one for 2017.  The three forerunners right now are Meditation, Prayer, and Solitude - or something that means something similar to one of them.  So we'll see. :)

[Joyofsixreboot]

2016: grow

 

Honestly after my stillbirth this year, I hated my word and stopped using it and started focusing on cultivating hope, which is how I chose this year's word.

 

2017: hope

:grouphug:

[Joyofsixreboot]

Last year's word was Involved. I made headway in becoming more involved in the community. I didn't manage everything but it met my goal of being less child centered and focusing more on my interests in a balanced way.

 

This year's word is Pause. I shoot from the hip, am sometimes impulsive, or over react. I will try to take a breath ( or two or three) before I react. I also need to pause life sometimes. The last three months here have been horribly stressful. I need to pause the speed of life and process. As an energetic (ENFP), some say manic sort, I need to actually plan some introspection time.

Edited December 30, 2016 by joyofsix

[Joyofsixreboot]

I didn't have a word last year, but this year it's going to be HAPPINESS. I'm reading a ton of books on the subject to get me energized:

 

The Happiness Project

Happier at Home

Better than Before

Designing Your Life

Spark Joy

The Daily Stoic

The Guide to the Good Life: The Art of Stoic Joy

 

I'm really going to try focusing on loving this season of life this year.

I really enjoy Gretchen Rubin's work. She and her sister have a podcast I enjoy. You might try it out.

[mom@shiloh]

My very strange word for this year is INSIGNIFICANCE.   Sometimes I feel insignificant. My main role in life has been a homeschooling mom.  When we go to family reunions, no one ever asks me about my "job".  I always ask other people about their life's work.  So, I feel insignificant.  

 

Lately, through Scripture and sermons and quotes that I have stumbled across, God is showing me how He uses the insignificant for His glory and His purposes and I am becoming thankful to do the insignificant things.  

[BigMamaBird]

Someone on my FB posted "All you need is less."  I like the jist of that.  So my word for 2017 is Less.  My life has become full of too much everything.  Clutter, fat, stress.  I'm making it my goal this year to lessen my life a bit . . .  in a positive way.

[Caclcoca]

I was talking with IRL friends about this today.  We were all coming up with words.  I talked with them about my goals for the year, and I came up with the word balance.  I tend to be an all or nothing kind of girl.  I need to find a balance and accept that I can't do everything, but I need to take time for me and enjoy life while loving and enjoying time with those around me.

[poppy]

My word for 2016 has got to be horrified. Too many disappointments, and too much grief.

 

My word for 2017, I don't know yet. Probably "Try". Most I'm up for right now.

[sassenach]

In 2014 my word was Confidence- I would say this worked- ultimately I went back to school, got my teaching credential and am now teaching. Things I had not previously considered and in the past would have had all kinds of excuses for not doing.

I can't remember my 2015 or 2016 words- I think because I was so focused on school and my first year teaching.

 

For 2017 my word is Appreciate- appreciate those around me, the beauty I live in, etc.

 

 Kinda funny-one year I chose the word "initiative" for my son.  It didn't work.

:lol:  :lol: If choosing words for others worked, I would have a whole list of them.

[sassenach]

My 2016 word, which I couldn't remember until I went back to the thread, was Engage. That was a good one (even if I forgot to pay attention to it). We made big hs changes, sent a kid to school, I started taking college classes... I also failed. I think I've disengaged from my church family in some ways. 

 

My 2017 word is Hope. I've been wrecked over the last few days. We've had some major, major family things surface. Things that won't heal easily. I'm starting my year with a Bible word study on Hope. 

[lewber]

Can someone link last year's thread?

[MEmama]

My word for 2016 has got to be horrified. Too many disappointments, and too much grief.

 

My word for 2017, I don't know yet. Probably "Try". Most I'm up for right now.

Yeah. Words like hope and peace and so on just don't work for me this year. Despair would fit how I feel, but not appropriate to the project.

[luuknam]

Yeah. Words like hope and peace and so on just don't work for me this year. Despair would fit how I feel, but not appropriate to the project.

 

I contemplated the word Opposites.

[rainbowmama]

Yeah. Words like hope and peace and so on just don't work for me this year. Despair would fit how I feel, but not appropriate to the project.

 

I chose hope because I feel so much despair, to remind myself to open myself to the possibility that something good could or might happen. 

[regentrude]

2015 was Joy

2016 was Adventure

2017 will be Hope. Not because I am feeling particularly hopeful, on the contrary; I have never before met a new year with so much apprehension. I am choosing Hope to remind myself to look for things that can give me hope and to act in ways that can give other people hope. It's the only thing that can counteract despair.

Edited December 30, 2016 by regentrude

[mlktwins]

I haven't done a word of the year before, but I am going to for 2017.  My word is HEALTH because if I don't work on that, none of the other things I really want to accomplish this year will happen (or happen as I would like them to).  I will be 50 in 2017 and I have some work to do on me for a change.  I'm always making sure everyone else is good, but this year, I need to be selfish and take some time for me.  So healthy food, losing weight, drinking water, exercising, spiritual and mental health, and taking some time to do some things that bring me joy (outside of the joy I get from my family :-)!!!