My 2019 Word of the Year

Times of transition are strenuous, but I love them.  They are an opportunity to purge, rethink priorities, and be intentional about new habits.  We can make our new normal any way we want – Kristin Armstrong

Here we are, already a few days into 2019.  How are you feeling?  For me, the start of a new year always brings feelings of anticipation and excitement.  It’s a time to start fresh!  Who knows what the year will hold!  Of course, the new year isn’t the only time to start fresh.  Each day, each month, even each hour offers a chance to change.  But there’s something about the new year – the chill in the air, the clearing of the house after Christmas, the return to routines after the chaos of the holidays – that breathes new life into me in a way few other times of the year do.

So far, 2019 has been rolling along much like 2018.  Husband and I rang in the New Year quietly at home, and it was decidedly different than in years past.  We’re 14 hours ahead of New York, so there was no ball drop on tv.   Sadly, there were also no fireworks.  For many Japanese people, the New Year’s holiday is spent at home, in the presence of family.  Some brave the cold and head to local shrines for the first worship service of the year.  In the evening, local TV stations broadcast musical concerts and contests.  But, as midnight closes in, the view changes to live feeds from shrines across the country.

Although 2019 arrived without fanfare, I’ve been spending some time thinking about how I’d like to focus my energy this year.  As some of you know, last year I jumped on board with the practice of ringing in the new year with a word.  (You can read about my 2018 word of the year HERE).  In the past, I’d make a New Year’s resolution and, in a month or two, the motivation would be gone.  This is probably why I would continue to make the same resolutions year after year.

But, Husband and I knew a big change was coming our way in 2018.  The overseas move had been in our minds for close to a year, and the time to act was coming soon.  There are times I appreciate a “long runway” to change and choosing a word of the year helped remind me to keep my priorities straight.  Do what you can, leave the rest, pay attention.  There’s no big change coming in 2019 (that we know of) but continuing to choose a word for the year will, I hope, help keep me focused on my goals, plans, and dreams.

For the last two years, I’ve turned to My One Word for some simple guiding questions to help me choose my word.  So, I spent some time this week thinking about the kind of person I’d like to be at the end of 2019.  What characteristics would she have?  How would other people see her?  How would she see herself?  It didn’t take long this year for me to settle on my word:

Intentional

Google defines intentional as an adjective meaning “done on purpose, deliberate.”  For 2019, I want to spend some time making deliberate, intentional choices.  For example, here are some things I’m really wanting to focus on:

Spending less time on my phone
Investing more time and energy into crafting a solid writing habit
Being picky about the items we bring into our home, and being quick to pass along things that don’t work for us anymore
How I show love to my husband
Bringing friends, and strangers, into our home on a regular basis
Continuing to practice the art of being present
Learning new things
Building a habit of prayer and study
Finding and nurturing the habit of exercise

For me, 2018 was a year of transition.  I’m thrilled to be spending 2019 focusing on intentionally living out life in this community.  As you can see, I have big plans for 2019!  Although I know I won’t be perfect, I hope that seeing each day through the lens of being intentional will guide me to set new habits for myself and my family.

How about you?  Do you subscribe to a word of the year practice?  Did you set any resolutions?  Leave me a comment and let me know your hopes for 2019!