2019 Word of the Year

January 7, 2019

2019 Word of the Year

January 7, 2019
Word of the Year 2019 LESS
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2019 Word of the Year

I’m not going to lie. I’ve not been super excited about 2019. Not because 2018 was a big bag of mixed nuts and I’m glad to put it behind me but because I know that 2019 is going to bring lots of change and growth for me. And for me that’s kind of scary. Good. But scary.

Every year, for a whole lot of years now,  I choose one word to focus on. This is a pretty popular habit among those of us who have turned our backs on New Years’ Resolutions.

I can’t keep up with multiple resolutions.

But I can manage one word.

This year, my word of the year along back in October 2018. The last several months I’ve been feeling totally overwhelmed with my life. The demands, chronic pain, too many projects, work, animals, family, friends. It just all got to be too much for me. Every single day was filled to the brim with activities, some of them I had absolutely no desire to partake in. But I did. Out of guilt, a sense of obligation, or duty. Rarely because I really, really wanted to. And I started to resent that. And the resentment turned to anger.

I need a break from it all in a big way. I need a total RESET.

So my word for 2019 is LESS.

  • Less consumption
  • Less wasted time
  • Less time in the drive-thru and less garbage in my body
  • Less time on social media
  • Less time with my phone in my  hand
  • Less time with people who don’t give a damn
  • Less time frittered away in the name of procrastination
  • Less spending
  • Less trying to please people just for the sake of pleasing them
  • Less sugar
  • Less doing things out of some misplaced sense of obligation
  • Less stress
  • Less anxiety
  • Less stagnation
  • Less sitting
  • Less waiting for someone to else
  • Less complaining and negativity
  • Less pain

A whole lot of LESS!

And then some MORE!

I know that by ridding myself of many of the things that are weighing me down that I will make room for more of what I really need.

  • More time to do what I enjoy
  • More activity
  • More happiness
  • More healthful food
  • More creating
  • More space
  • More time
  • More appreciation & gratitude
  • More meaning
  • More peace
  • More personal growth

 

For me, it is feeling very important to cut back and pare down. To go all the way down deep into my soul to find out what it is that I really need.

To throw everything off the table and start new. From the ground up.

As I said, lots of growth and change. But it has to happen. For my health. For my sanity.

Do you have a word of the year? I’d love to hear about your word.

 

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Vicki O'Dell

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  • Cathey January 14, 2019 at 12:54 am

    I chose the word “Praise”. Not that I necessarily feel like it through the “chronic pain”, illness, and constant depression. However, I will praise Him who created me. I have a purpose and I will be darned if I will let that purpose dwindle or burn out. Whatever it is, I am still here, so I know I am and will be used. I am content with this and I will praise Him in my purpose and march on.

    • Vicki O'Dell January 14, 2019 at 12:29 pm

      Cathey,
      Good for you! Happy New Year.

      Vicki

  • Linda Gorman January 8, 2019 at 6:52 am

    Well said! I always pick a word too. For 2019 my word is joy. Find joy in myself, my friends, my life, find joy in all things.

    • Vicki O'Dell January 14, 2019 at 12:29 pm

      Joy is a good word Linda. I often forget that I need to actively SEEK out things like Joy.
      It doesn’t always fall into my lap like some kind of happy accident. Some days it needs a HUNT! 🙂

      Xoxo V

  • Mandy Williams January 7, 2019 at 11:26 pm

    I love, love this post. This is the first time I’ve considered choosing a word and, while I like many that I see from others, “less” really speaks to where I am right now too.

    • Vicki O'Dell January 14, 2019 at 12:27 pm

      I guess it’s going around Mandy. This “less” thing. Have you seen Marie Kondo’s show on Netflix?
      It’s great that she’s showing people how to declutter but I’d personally like to get to a place where I’m buying less in the first place.
      Choosing one word can be hard but it’s definitely a help for those of us who get overwhelmed by resolutions.
      Happy New Year!
      Vicki

  • Victoria Renehan January 7, 2019 at 12:38 pm

    Last year my one word was #FOCUS.

    And I dug in and applied myself to be more visual and focus on what I wanted. What I needed.

    And I did well. My family did well. Others that I influence also did well.
    I thought that at times I could do better. And so my 2019 word is #Improvement

    • Vicki O'Dell January 7, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      That is good to hear Victoria. I am so glad your word gave you so much.
      Just remember that sustained periods of focus and improvement also need moments of peace and recharging. BALANCE is a verb, it’s something we work on.
      Much love,
      Vicki

  • Bax McClure January 7, 2019 at 10:31 am

    As I was reading your post, I thought Less sounded like the word I needed for myself. But the word that kept popping in my head was Hope. Hope for the environment, Hope for immigrants, Hope for a healthy body, Hope for continued Love and Hope for my family.

    • Vicki O'Dell January 7, 2019 at 11:34 am

      Hi Bax, Thanks for taking the time to comment. I love your word and totally agree that our world needs more hope.
      I guess my problem is that I have lost hope and need to pull back to find it again. I am so very thankful there are people like you out there hanging on to hope until some of the rest of us can find ours again.
      Hold your lantern high!
      XOXO V

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