One Word

Time to draft some possible words:

Responsive
Joy
Blessings
Aware
Present
Organize
Warrior
Thankful
Value
Hope

OK, that't ten.  This is some tough stuff, picking ONE tiny word for the whole year.  To be honest, I have never been good at resolutions.  Resolutions don't last for longer than a few weeks, but I suppose that is because I am the type of person who prefers goals to resolutions.  Goals change more fluidly (at least in my definition).  To me, resolutions seem to be about fixing something broken in my life.  Goals seem more about getting better at something.  More #growthmindset, less #failure.  Like I said, perhaps that is just my definition.

But, as the big picture person I tend to be, picking a word to be a big idea theme of my 2016 seems right up my alley.  A word that could be at the heart of all my goals for the year?  Sign me up.

But, how do I pick just one?

I would pick responsive, but that was my unofficial word for 2015.  I didn't know about #oneword then, but I did use it to focus my job a bit.  It worked well for me, too.  But, it would be cheating to pick the same one twice.  Plus, while I was responsive at work, I don't think I was as responsive in my personal life.  Time to pick a word that fits my life, not just my career.

I would love to pick organize, but that really feels like a "resolution" type one word.  I would pick it more to "fix" something I feel is broken.  But, my life is cluttered.  I need to work on that.

So, I went to the online dictionary and read the definitions of some of those words.  And, the one that struck me, was PRESENT.

2016 is the year I am going to try to be more PRESENT.  I want to be more able to enjoy the things that are currently happening in my life.  I want to be more present for my kids, my husband, my students, my friends, my coworkers.  I want to be able to be more aware of the blessings that are with me as they happen.  There is no time like the present to make more time for the things that matter when then matter.  I suppose you could call it balance, in a way, but I want to figure out a way to be more able to live in the moment as the moment happens.  This big picture person wants to be able to focus on the moments in the year 2016.  

If you look on Urban Dictionary, you see this definition:

I do not have a problem seeing the forest.  In fact, I always see the forest.  Perhaps it is time to be a little more present and take a moment to see the trees within the forest.  I want to be present.  

It sounds like I am going to start close reading life again.  Watch out, when I do that, I tend to take more photographs, too.  Perhaps my one word should be snapshot.  OK, I need to hit publish before I change my mind AGAIN.  

I suppose my one word in itself isn't as important as the desire to make 2016 the best it can be.  So, here we go!  Happy New Year!