My Word of the Year

I’ve chosen my word for the year. It is Nurture.

In past years, I have done some thoughtful exercises that guided me towards my word or theme for the year. They helped narrow down my choices, based on my values, goals and stage of life. There was the time, in 2021, that I forgot my word of the year and had to be reminded. Last year my word – Effortless – helped guide me to effortless decision making, effortless productivity and turning my back on perfectionistic tendencies. I will take that effortless theme with me into this year and hopefully all the rest.

This year I did not do those thoughtful exercises. I did not spend very long choosing my word. In fact, I feel like it chose me. As I reflected on the successes of stumbles of the previous twelve months, I thought about what I want more of. I connected with my deep desire to help others, from family and friends to my clients, trainees and Professional Organiser’s Edge members. I do enjoy helping and nurturing all those in my life. But what about me? In the quest to nurture others, I sometimes put myself last, and that’s no way for a 60+ year old to role model for others. Surely by now I’ve learned that an empty cup cannot fill another. So this year, I will focus on nurturing myself as well as everyone else.

What will that look like? For me, it will be about taking time to do the things I love – crafting, listening to music, walking in the fresh air and who knows what else will fill my cup. For family and friends, it will be about deeper connection and finding ways to make them feel special. For my clients, trainees and members, it will be about nurturing their growth and learning. I look forward to every bit of it.

Why choose a word for the year? My colleague, Wendy Hanes, has written about that over at Hoarding Home Solutions, and I couldn’t have said it better myself.

And now it’s over to you. What’s your word of the year?