One Little Word for the New Year

Much like with more traditional resolutions, I start out the year with the best of intentions. 2016 will be my fourth year of using one little word to guide my thinking, actions and intentions for the year, but I don’t always do a good job carrying it through.

My word for 2015 was simplify, and it was a great choice, which I occasionally focused on and spent more of the year thinking “I really ought to…”

I did manage to more or less KonMarie my closet, I donated hundreds of books to the local library, got the guest room a little more under control (but don’t look in the closet) and have lately done a better job of keeping our bedroom cleaner, too.

It’s not at all what I hoped to get done, but it’s better than nothing. (For the record, previous years have been grow/calm and create.)

New Year, New Word

I decided a while back that my word for 2016 is clear.

It works as a continuation of simplify when taken literally, thinking about clear spaces and clear surfaces (a big goal for sure).

But it also works in a business sense, to suit my need for clear goals, clear systems and clear routines.

I need to get clear about what it is I really want and what I really need to be doing to get there.

I need to get clear about things that aren’t serving me well and how I might better use that time. I need clear focus on getting things done and putting my attention in the right places.

Just thinking about clear and writing about it in my morning pages a bit has shifted my thinking about things I want to do here on this site in the coming year, which I will write more about soon.

I’m excited about the possibilities of this word and this year. But I think I need to go back to what I did in year one and have a focus for each month, a mini-resolution, if you will, or a goal or a task to focus on for the month. I need to do more public writing about it to make myself accountable and to really check in with the word through the year.

Do you use a little word or phrase to focus the year? I’d love to hear about yours!