2021 Year in Review - Looking Ahead to 2022 - Day 18

[Granny_Weatherwax]

We have completed the Year in Review and are moving into Looking Forward to 2022.

2022 Word or Phrase for the Year

Edited December 19, 2021 by Granny_Weatherwax

[Slache]

I gave myself permission to not have one this year due to *gestures at everything*.

[ScoutTN]

I was going to choose “progress”, hoping to see forward movement in several areas, but I might be changing it…

[Guest]

WOTY = Lucky

POTY = “The grass is greener where you water it.” I even bought a coaster to keep on my desk at work that has this phrase on it. 

[Ditto]

Thanks to a very kind hive member, my word for 2022 is:  Rest.    

@Quill,  I have not thought of having a phrase of the year.   Interesting.   I really like yours and the fact you have a coaster as a reminder.  You are smart.

I may give some thought to a phrase of the year.    Nothing is immediately coming to me so I may not have one, but I am going to ponder having one.

 

[Ditto]

@Granny_Weatherwax,  I appreciate you doing this every day.  It has been fascinating to review the year and now to look towards 2022.  I look forward to your prompt every day.  The daily prompt also stays with me throughout the day and invariably other revelations come to me (OMG! So much more unfinished business in 2021 than I listed).   Thank you!🤗

[regentrude]

1 minute ago, Ditto said:

@Granny_Weatherwax,  I appreciate you doing this every day.  It has been fascinating to review the year and now to look towards 2022.  I look forward to your prompt every day.  The daily prompt also stays with me throughout the day and invariably other revelations come to me (OMG! So much more unfinished business in 2021 than I listed).   Thank you!🤗

I love this, too! I don't have answers for all the prompts, but I enjoy thinking about them and seeing what others come up with.

[Eos]

Thank you for doing this thread @Granny_Weatherwaxit's been great food for thought!

I'm gathering up my courage and saying that my word will be Listen, and my phrase Listen Closely.

Edited December 18, 2021 by Eos

[Granny_Weatherwax]

31 minutes ago, Ditto said:

@Granny_Weatherwax,  I appreciate you doing this every day.  It has been fascinating to review the year and now to look towards 2022.  I look forward to your prompt every day.  The daily prompt also stays with me throughout the day and invariably other revelations come to me (OMG! So much more unfinished business in 2021 than I listed).   Thank you!🤗

Thank you for the kind words.

I write my responses in my journal and have learned to leave extra space for each prompt.  I always find new things to add as the month progresses. There are also prompts I struggle with in the moment and I leave those blank. Often, as I think things through or go through daily life, I find something to write about and fill in those empty spaces.

[ScoutTN]

34 minutes ago, Eos said:

Thank you for doing this thread @Granny_Weatherwaxit's been great food for thought!

I'm gathering up my courage and saying that my word will be Listen, and my phrase Listen Closely.

I love this! Might steal it. 

[PinkTulip]

My word this year is prevail. I feel like I have been merely enduring for such a long time, but I made some pretty dramatic changes in 2021, so 2022 is my year to prevail. 

[Ditto]

42 minutes ago, PinkTulip said:

My word this year is prevail. I feel like I have been merely enduring for such a long time, but I made some pretty dramatic changes in 2021, so 2022 is my year to prevail. 

If you ever feel like elaborating on even a few of the changes you made this year that are allowing you to prevail next year, I would love to hear them.   I am in the "enduring" part right now and it is definitely tough.    

[Hannah]

Thank you from me too @Granny_Weatherwax! Ive never reflected on a year from so many angles.

My word for 2022 is "Relationships".

Still deciding on a phrase, but considering "consistent small steps".

[Guest]

Add me to the voices thanking you @Granny_Weatherwax for putting up these prompts. I don’t always answer but I do like how it makes me ponder the year. It’s a way to really examine one’s life  periodically. It’s easier to see things I need to alter or things I want to keep. Writing it in a journal is a great idea as well. 

[DreamerGirl]

I am not a word-of-the year choosing kind of person. But for 2021, it was hope. 

I went through words a myriad of words like but I keep coming back to Hope.

So yet again I choose Hope.

Last year around this time I chose to be hopeful about 2021.

Though in many ways it has turned out that 2020 was the trailer and 2021 was the movie, things that I thought impossible this time last year have happened.

I hope 2021 is not part I of an unfolding horror show of COVID mutants to come but even it is so ,hope we find a way to co-exist with this *insert bad word* thing.

So yeah, hope is my word again.

[marbel]

Another thank you for the threads!  I have not responded every day but they have given good food for thought.

I'm not a word of the year person really, but after reading the threads on the topic and someone's mentioning a "life word" I have come up with two things.

Life word:  Love.  As in the greatest commandment.  Really a very easy choice for me because while I can say there are people I love, I am not a loving person in general.

Phrase: "...and go bravely into battle knowing he has won the war..." My daughter gave me a little watercolor with this phrase on it; it's  from the song "It is Finished" by The Modern Post. I have actually never listened to the song or anything by that band; I only know it from her painting. When I went back to work "temporarily" in 2018 due to my husband's unemployment, I took it and put it on my desk because honestly every day felt like a battle. Now that I'm working from home, I have it where I see it while working (my "temporary" job is ongoing even though my husband is back to work). It is a great reminder on bad days.  

[PinkTulip]

5 hours ago, Ditto said:

If you ever feel like elaborating on even a few of the changes you made this year that are allowing you to prevail next year, I would love to hear them.   I am in the "enduring" part right now and it is definitely tough.    

I’m so sorry you are in the enduring part. Years ago I took some advice given on this board and decided what I want my life to look like in 5 years and then look lots of baby steps to get there. Sending hugs to you while you get through this phase. 
 

My biggest change was filing for divorce from my NPD  husband. I’m living alone in a small apartment, but so happy and feel like I can finally take a deep breath in life. Other related changes are really diving in wholeheartedly to my full-time job, and finally realizing my boys’ choices as adults are not a reflection on my parenting. They are struggling in some ways, but they know I love them fiercely no matter what. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

My word for 2022 is Persistence.  To me, that means consistent try hard.  This past year, I got my fingertips on the ledge of where I want to be, but it will take that consistent try hard to make my way over to more secure footing.  I need to be persistent with my fledgling career, my health, and my relationships and not get waylaid by the ups and downs.  

But, man, I'm tired.  Not sure if this is the recovering from surgery tired, or "it's December and this is seasonal affective disorder" tired, or just life tired.  

[regentrude]

I still cannot come up with anything. My WotY for 2020 was "free" and look how that turned out. I didn't do one for 2021. 
I would really like a word or phrase, but am completely drawing a blank.

[Shoeless]

8 hours ago, Slache said:

I gave myself permission to not have one this year due to *gestures at everything*.

The last time I came up with a phrase of the year, it was 2020: "Make Life Easier". 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA 

[Slache]

9 minutes ago, MissLemon said:

The last time I came up with a phrase of the year, it was 2020: "Make Life Easier". 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA 

You are now banned from this particular practice.

[Shoeless]

1 minute ago, Slache said:

You are now banned from this particular practice.

I promise I will never, ever try it again. 

Head down, eyes on my own paper. 

[Ditto]

1 hour ago, PinkTulip said:

I’m so sorry you are in the enduring part. Years ago I took some advice given on this board and decided what I want my life to look like in 5 years and then look lots of baby steps to get there. Sending hugs to you while you get through this phase. 
 

My biggest change was filing for divorce from my NPD  husband. I’m living alone in a small apartment, but so happy and feel like I can finally take a deep breath in life. Other related changes are really diving in wholeheartedly to my full-time job, and finally realizing my boys’ choices as adults are not a reflection on my parenting. They are struggling in some ways, but they know I love them fiercely no matter what. 

I'm proud of you!  You have made hard changes and I am glad you are happy and able to enjoy your life.    That is really good advice about what you want your life to look like in 5 years.  I will have to ponder that.    The fact that your boys know you love them no matter what is huge!  

[Ditto]

1 hour ago, regentrude said:

I still cannot come up with anything. My WotY for 2020 was "free" and look how that turned out. I didn't do one for 2021. 
I would really like a word or phrase, but am completely drawing a blank.

Words that come to mind that may possibly work are:  Grace and Compassion.  Giving yourself generous amounts of both.

[MooCow]

You can do this!! 

[marbel]

2 hours ago, regentrude said:

I still cannot come up with anything. My WotY for 2020 was "free" and look how that turned out. I didn't do one for 2021. 
I would really like a word or phrase, but am completely drawing a blank.

So, as I've said, I am not generally a WOTY person, so feel free to disregard what I say (as always!) but I think... it has to just come to you. I think if you think too hard about it, it won't come.  Sort of like, but not exactly like, when you are trying so hard to remember something and suddenly when you are half awake, or in the shower thinking about your day - poof! - there it is. 

[regentrude]

4 minutes ago, marbel said:

So, as I've said, I am not generally a WOTY person, so feel free to disregard what I say (as always!) but I think... it has to just come to you. I think if you think too hard about it, it won't come.  Sort of like, but not exactly like, when you are trying so hard to remember something and suddenly when you are half awake, or in the shower thinking about your day - poof! - there it is. 

yeah, that didn't work for 2021 either. I think it may have to do with the massive disappointment of the pandemic... like the five-year-question somebody else mentioned above - how can we envision where we want to be five years from now, when the last two years didn't allow for any predictable actions and the finish line gets pushed further and further out? How does one make plans when the main lesson from the past two years is that that is completely futile? (futile, btw, was my only candidate for a 2021 word, and it felt less than inspiring, so I dropped it) So, I guess, that's why, after the total flop of 2020, my psyche is resistant to settling on a word

Edited December 19, 2021 by regentrude

[mom31257]

@Granny_Weatherwax, I am also very grateful for these posts. It has been nice to reflect in so many ways. 

I need sometime to think about this one, but I want to find both a word and a phrase. The next year could hold more change for me because I really need to work more to make more money. I'm a bit nervous about it after being home for 24 years. 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

For those of us who want a word or phrase but are struggling, we have time. There is no rush. My line is blank and I knew about this prompt for the past 12 months. Sometimes it is difficult to come up with something that we feel gives it real meaning. My words for 2021 were Ride Read and Rejoice. Two were action words that had nothing to do with internal feelings. My goals were to ride my bike a certain distance, in new places, and do charity rides. I also wanted to read more, watch less tv, and help out at the library. Rejoice was my word for living in the moment and being happy with whatever came my way.

As we progress through the remaining prompts and you think about what you want to do in 2022, a word or phrase might come to you. If so, you can always come back to this thread and share.

 

Edited December 19, 2021 by Granny_Weatherwax

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Here are some ideas for thinking about a word or phrase for the year.

In my Bujo, I have two spreads: one for phrases, thoughts, and sentences from books I have read and another for song lyrics that have jumped out at me or that have had special meaning. This morning, since I am struggling coming up with my WOTY and POTY, I decided to go back and look through those spreads. I am looking to see if there is a pattern or if one of those notes stands out more than the others. I haven't found my WOTY/POTY yet but I now have a springboard for possible themes for 2022. 

Note: there are a lot of song lyrics to go through as my CD collection of favorite music increased quite a bit this year. With this rich collection, I wonder if my WOTY/POTY is just waiting to be discovered? Best go turn on the CD player.

[SKL]

Hi guys.  I'm sorry to post so far behind.  I chose "motion" for another thread, so I'll use "motion" as my WOTY here also.

I don't know about phrase.  It would probably be along similar lines, such as "don't let the grass grow under your feet" or "got to keep on moving" or the like.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

16 minutes ago, SKL said:

Hi guys.  I'm sorry to post so far behind.  I chose "motion" for another thread, so I'll use "motion" as my WOTY here also.

I don't know about phrase.  It would probably be along similar lines, such as "don't let the grass grow under your feet" or "got to keep on moving" or the like.

Feel free to post on any thread at any time.

Going through these prompts oftentimes spurs further reflection which in turn changes or adds to a previous response. All 30 days can be viewed as organic, growing and changing as needed.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I finally came up with something, while listening to Erasure. 2021 has been an Erasure year. Listening to Vince and Andy has been a great source of pleasure and distraction.

 

My words:

Perception, Preparation, Participation

My phrase: Ain't No Point in Tripping

My song: No Point in Tripping by Erasure

 

Perception - experience everything I can; my kayak is a Perception and my new tennis racquet will be named Perception. (Yes, I name my tennis racquets. Current racquets are named after a David Bowie song. Previous racquets were named after Roxette, Simple Minds, and Duran Duran songs.)

Preparation - do/buy whatever is needed in advance so I feel worthy, ready, and relaxed; esp for holidays or important events.

Participation - go do things; no sitting in the house for hours or days without a good reason (illness, injury; sadness is no longer a good reason for me); doing things on my own is okay and no way reflects my value.

I feel pretty good about my choices. Having a theme song helps.

Edited December 30, 2021 by Granny_Weatherwax

[Corraleno]

This is a tough one for me, because I feel pulled in opposite directions, between the words "closure" and "forward." I know there will be a lot of loss in 2022 because my father, stepmother, mother, and MIL are all in their mid- to late 80s and in very poor health. My stepmother and MIL were not even expected to make it to Christmas, and will likely pass in the next few months. My father is also in very poor health and in chronic pain and I don't know how long he'll last once my stepmother is gone. I own the house they live in (which is in Florida, and I live in Oregon), so that complicates things because once my dad passes I will need to go down there for a few months to clear out the house, do some repairs, and get it sold. And I am really dreading that, not only because of the disruption to my life but also because of the emotional difficulty of having to go through all their stuff and sell or dispose of it. 

But beyond the emotional impact of the individual losses, and the practical impact of having to handle my parents' estate and my MIL's financial affairs, there is the overall impact of losing everyone in that generation at once. It just feels like a door closing on the past, the end of an era and all the memories that go with that. And of course it also raises issues of my own mortality and wanting to make sure that all of my own affairs are in order, because my kids are only 19 and 23 and really would not be able to handle sorting out my estate if something happened to me. So I think my phrase for 2022 is going to be "tying up loose ends." I want to focus on really purging my house, organizing all my paperwork and accounts so the kids could find things easily, sorting/scanning/organizing all my photos and making sure both kids have multiple backups of them, etc.

So "closure" would be a good word for 2022. But I also don't want it to be all about looking backward and focusing on the past, I also want to think of the year as sort of drawing a line between the past and future, so that I'm also focused on the future in a positive way, rather than just dealing with relatives' deaths and getting affairs in order in anticipation of my own. And I don't have a really good word for that, so I will just use "forward," to remind me to keep moving forward and thinking about what's to come instead of just dwelling on all the things that are gone forever.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

@Corraleno  - I have been thinking about your post and as I was walking the dogs I thought of the word alignment. It seems to be a nice word for bringing things together.

 

Hugs to you