One Little Word 2011
My 2011 necklace from the lovely Lisa Leonard. Get one for yourself here.
My word for 2011 is light.
This year my word sure seemed to choose me.
Most years I start thinking about my word for the following year in November or December. I think about it in passing and start listening, looking, and being open to the possibilities of a new word.
This year the word light seemed to be trying to catch my attention.
I found it in books, in magazines, in music, in conversations and in quiet moments.
So I'm going with it. It's already surprised, delighted, challenged and sparked some new things within me.
Some years I've had to look harder or listen longer or simply choose one that fit with what was on my mind and heart at that moment. There's no right or wrong. The main thing to remember is that this is your word. It's not for your child, parent, partner, spouse, sister, etc.
And what do you do with this one little word?
You live with it. You invite it into you life. You let it speak to you. You might even follow where it leads. There are so many possibilities.
I'd love to read what word you've chosen or are considering for 2011. In the comments feel free to simply leave your word as your comment or write a bit about why you are choosing this word.
In a couple of days I'll post a compilation of the words as an inspirational reminder to us all.
If you’re new to the concept of One Little Word, you can read some of my previous posts here: 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.
NEW FOR 2011 : ONE LITTLE WORD at BIG PICTURE CLASSES
I'm excited to be offering a brand new One Little Word online workshop through Big Picture Classes in 2011 as a way to connect with and honor our words throughout the year.
Each month you'll receive a prompt with a simple creative project and a gentle reminder to check back in with your word. By the end of the year you'll have compiled the contents of an 8.5x11 album that documents, defines, celebrates and generally makes your word more visible. Workshop materials include printable elements, full-color PDF handouts, and video presentations.
People have been asking me if you have to be a scrapbooker for this class. My answer is no. Even though we are making an album it's really more of a journaling/record keeping/thinking/exploring project. I'm excited to see how people interpret the prompts and make them meaningful for their own lives.
This is not complicated and it's not time-consuming. It's simply a way we can come together to share our experience with our words throughout the course of the year.
The One Little Word classroom opens on January 1, 2011.
Celebrate.
I want to:
Celebrate my body by honoring it with good food.
Celebrate my body and its connection to the world around me by swimming again
Celebrate my husband for who he is and what he does, and not nit-pick or try to ask him to be something he isn't
Celebrate my new home and spend as much time here hosting parties, hanging out and decorating. It's not perfect yet, but it's ours and we should celebrate it
Celebrate our 30th birthdays with a literal celebration. It's party time.
Celebrate the sale of my childhood home (my parents are in contract) and honor the memories of the wonderful times we had there, but celebrate the change
Celebrate who I really am by allowing myself to express what I really want and do what I really enjoy and not try to fit in to anyone else's notion of me
Celebrate my friends and family and see them often and honor them in ways big and small.
Celebrate.
It chose me, and when it did, it was SO obvious.
And,
Celebrate the ordinary, everyday moments of our lives - really notice them and honor them
I like the spin you've put on your word. For example: celebrate my body by honoring it with good food - this is so positive versus something like "I want to change my eating habits".
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I am still choosing between two words: ENJOY and PRESERVE. Both have come to me over these past few weeks of thinking about OLW and now I just have to pick one. Since my father died earlier this year, I have been trying to learn how to ENJOY life without him but also PRESERVE those memories and stories of him, too. I'll have picked one by Jan 1, but right now I am leaning toward PRESERVE.
As predicted, my word for 2011 is PRESERVE. I blogged about it at http://jessdean.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/one-little-word-2011/
Sign in or sign up to comment.
"Moment" as in live in the moment, be present in your life. Enjoy what you have today. Time goes too fast.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My word is breath, just that...breath.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
PATIENCE has picked me. I have always been a patient person and somewhere in the past few years, I have lost it. I am quick to snap, judge and it is making me very unhappy, not to mention it is hurting my family because they end up being the brunt of my reactions. In 2011, I hope to regain teh cool, calm and collective spirit of patience I once embodied.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My one little word always seems to come to me during the process of my December Daily album (thanks Ali!). This year my word is "simple"... simple food. simple clothes. simple house. simple exercise. Lots of decluttering needed throughout my life. I'm normally an all or nothing kind of girl, so going simple will be a good (and difficult!) exercise for me. I'm going to choose 12 areas I want to work on simplifying, and focus on them each month... hoping to journal a lot about the process, and perhaps an album will result. But if not, that's OK too.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Simplicity. It too found me.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My word for 2011 is "self-evolution," as in becoming the person that I want to be.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My word for 2011: ME
98% of my time is about others and this year I need to focus on ME
My word is ME also! I feel like I need to be more true to myself, figuring out what makes ME tick. Also, become more healthy, physically and spiritually. And finally, document ME - I'm turning 40 this year, lots of change in our lives and want to focus on being the best ME I can be.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I've been considering "discovery" for 2011, although I still have a word from the past two years that has seemed unattainable but I keep going back to it - "bliss".
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My word for this year is Believe! Believe in myself, in the future, that things will turn out as they should be. Believe I can make the time to create, believe that I can continue on my weight loss journey. Love picking my word every year!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
commitment
I considered this word as well, before my word chose me.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
"heart" ...getting back to the heart of what matters in my life.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My word for 2011 is "breathe" ... inspired by Leo's post at Zen Habits. http://zenhabits.net/breathe/
Sign in or sign up to comment.
The word that chose me this year is Strength
I have had many challenges in 2011 with the death of 3 family members. I look with hope (which I originally thought would be my word) to 2011.
1 the quality or state of being strong;
• physical power and energy
• the emotional or mental qualities necessary in dealing with situations or events that are distressing or difficult
• the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure
• the influence or power possessed by a person, organization
• the degree of intensity of a feeling or belief
2 a good or beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing :
I am looking forward to the class. Thanks Ali. I love this project.
sharon
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My word this year is JOY. So excited since I have had this word for awhile. I am hoping that it set me free of the expectations of others. Looking for what provides me JOY.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
proactive - proactive parenting, proactive business management, proactive health care, proactive attitude. PROACTIVE.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Try - I want to try new things, try to read more, try to write more, try new scrapbook techniques, try to get out and see more. I might not succeed at all of the things I try (and that's okay too), I may not like all the new things I experience, but at least I'll have given them a try.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My word is actually 3: RELAX, BREATHE, and LET GO. I need to remember to not be so stressed over the little things and just let them go. I also need to remember to breathe when life is getting in the way. I need to find my way back to a happier me and having these words present in my mind will hopefully do just that.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Strength.
We ended 2010 with scary health issues, myself and my husband, I battled school districts monthly for our special needs kiddo all while trying to tend to our other 4 children.
I almost did not make it and I had to find strength to help me through. It wasn't easy. So this word is something I am reminded about everyday when I look at my family.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My word this year is NURTURE. I have an 8 month old baby (my first) and I am trying to nurture him while also nurturing myself as a new mom with an artist, athlete, wife, woman, etc. still inside me!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
My word is NEST. This is my first time participating - this year, the word just found me and in other years, I was struggling to find the right one. After two years of unemployment, my husband has been back to work for 6 months (yeah!) and so my focus is on rebuilding our nest egg and nesting around the house - doing a lot of little things that I have wanted to do these past couple of years but could not. With little ones around, it is also about providing a loving and nurturing home (nest) and savoring the precious moments I have with them.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Last year my word was "change." Every day our lives change, but we had some major huge events happen last year that really will change the course of our lives in the future.
This year I've chosen the word "journey." Our family will be making a move from the West Coast to the East. Not only will the trip be a journey, but the process of preparation as well as all the new things we encounter when we get there will all be a part of it. I think, too, that spiritually I will be on a different journey ... leaving the past behind and moving ahead to different and greater things.
I can't wait to see how this all transforms over the next 12 months!
Thank you for doing this class ... it has already been an inspiration for me :)
West to east as in Northeast? Get ready to speed up everything about your life - or make the conscious decision not to be sucked in by the speed demons.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I am going to purchase the class next week as this Monday will be my little girl's bday & all my extra pennies are for her :) Any hoot my word is chosen and it is "determination" That is the word that keep shouting in my head(this is the 1st year I will be doing this) there are lots of goals I have and I need to have determination in order to get it done. At this moment it has started w/me learning to run. Something I NEVER thought I would do. I am slowly doing it and have found it fun. Then it was adding working out every other day & of course correcting my eating. Also want to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to scrapbooking/stamping as well as getting my etsy store up. All need me to really stick to having that true determination. Can't wait to get started on my album and watch the progress!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
my word is simple, and all the forms of it simplify, simplicity etc... My life has become so cluttered and stressful I need to focus on this in my life this year, doctors orders! so I guess mine found me too.
Sign in or sign up to comment.