One Little Word 2010

I am a fan of welcoming the new year with open arms. I love fresh starts, new opportunities, clean slates, possibilities.

Back in January 2007, as a way to celebrate these beginnings, I started a public tradition of choosing a single word to focus on over the course of the year.

Many of you are familiar with this tradition and have been joining me in selecting a new word each year. If this is your first time reading about the idea of one little word I recommend taking a few minutes to read my original post here.

Here's a look at my words from the past three years with links to the original posts.

2007 : Peace [ read my post for 2007 ]
2008 : Vitality [ read my post for 2008 ]
2009 : Nurture [ read my post for 2009 ]

Essentially the idea is to choose a word (or let it choose you) that has the potential to make an impact on your life.

Maybe you want to invite something or maybe you are hoping to subtract something. Maybe your word will be practical or hopeful or creative or fanciful. Maybe you need a big word, something in-your-face that will challenge you everyday. Maybe you need something smaller and quieter that will whisper gentle tidings as you make your way throughout the year.

Whatever word you end up with, make sure it is your word (not your sister's, mom's, partner's, child's, etc). You can share it publicly or keep it close to your heart.

My word for 2010 is STORY.

I'm planning to do a post with more details on my thoughts about this word on Wednesday (look for the finishing pages of my December Daily tomorrow). I am hoping to use my word as a springboard for a variety of different projects and inspirations, in my life and my scrapbooking, over the next 365 days.

Have you chosen your word yet?

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669 thoughts

  1. Adrienne says…
    01/02/2010

    My word for the year is "forward." This year I will not concentrate on things that happened in the past. I will focus on events, ideas and other things that will move my life forward. I am excited about this concept and am looking forward to see where this journey will lead during 2010.

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  2. michelle says…
    01/02/2010

    I finally picked a word! Last year it was embrace - I wanted to embrace life and new opportunities. Well, I tried, but 2009 was kind of sucky year, so it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. This year, I'm going with "CHOOSE." I want to choose the changes I want to make, choose which direction my life is going, choose to be happy and content and be in more control of my destiny this year instead of letting others control it.

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  3. Jenell says…
    01/02/2010

    I was actually thinking of a couple of different words and all of a sudden the word of the year came to me: EMBRACE. I'm going to embrace this new year with open arms, an open heart and an open mind. Embrace can help me accomplish so much and help me with such things as organization, simplifying, etc. EMBRACE!

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  4. Tammee Donaldson says…
    01/02/2010

    This is my first year trying this and I decided for this year my word will be "conscious" -- I will be more conscious of what I am eating, more conscious of what is going on in my life, and especially more conscious about enjoying my time with my daughter and being consistent in my parenting of her. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  5. Karen says…
    01/02/2010

    I think my word shall be ORGANISED.. I thought about sooo many words and kept coming back to that one little word that seems huuuuuuuuuuge...
    I have drafted a timetable for getting my house into order. Its always a mess and I always feel huge shame that I live the way I do. For years I have had depression and rather than work something out I let it get to the point where I feel so unable to tackle the monstrous mess in front of me.
    I shall ORGANISE my home, my bills, my terrible teen, my church life, my spiritual life, my friends and family time. My commitments, to work and voluntary work and i will scrap every last shameful detail. The mess of my room, my cupboards and my hoarding :)

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  6. lisacohen says…
    01/02/2010

    Last year my word was EXPLORE and it was GREAT for the flow and adventure of the year. I asked many questions of myself and towards the end of the year I knew the answers. This year my word is NUTURE. I know this was your word for last year, Ali, and a few months ago it called out to me and felt like a perfect fit. It works completely with so many things that I have planned for this year that no other word seemed to work as well. I plan on nurturing some existing relationships, nurturing some new ones that I'd like to see come into being, giving some attention to some new ideas that are in their infancy stages so they definitely need nurturing, doing more yoga, nurturing a clearer mind and house with doing lots more of LESS (less stuff, less business, more saying no so there's not mental clutter so I can to the essence of things), doing some more things that I like to do instead of things I feel that I should be doing, creating a nurturing and relaxing environment at home. Thank you for the inspiration and for everyone for sharing all of their words!

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Beth says…
    01/02/2010

    Ali:
    This is often the only time I comment all year--even though I've read your blog for a couple years now but I love this idea and have done it the last couple years. This year my word is PRESENT. Like here, now, in the moment. I have five fun active children and a very full to-list and this year I want to enjoy my present more. I want to scrapbook, blog, think in the present and I want to relish my life now. I love the idea of making something--I haven't done that before. Maybe it's time to splurge for a necklace :)
    Thanks for the time you spend on your blog and sharing it--it has brought me a lot of inspiration.

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1024202949 says…
    01/02/2010

    I chose PEACE. This is my first year of going this.

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. i {heart} papers says…
    01/02/2010

    My word is savor. 2009 was filled with tremendous loss for many people I love and I strive to savor each event, each moment, each interaction and each hour I spend with the ones I love in 2010. It can all change so suddenly…I don’t want to miss a moment!

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. marilyn says…
    01/02/2010

    oh yes! focus. my word. focus intentionally. thank you for this opportunity to explore this way of thought. just what i have been needing and knowing in my heart, but not connecting with. until now.

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Laurel Ankerstein says…
    01/02/2010

    Hi there,
    My word for this year is Achieve. I thought I would start at the beginning of the alphabet. I may not get through all the letters, but it will be fun trying to achieve some success.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Brigitta says…
    01/02/2010

    My word is TRUST. I lost a lot of trust last year and I want it back. I want to trust other people again and my I want to TRUST my instincts again and act upon them.

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Lissy says…
    01/02/2010

    My word this year is going to be FAMILY...I had many other words swimming in my head for the last few days...grateful, cherish, enjoy...and realised they were all thoughts linked to family...

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Laurie VF says…
    01/03/2010

    OK So I think I missed this deadline....my comments do not seem to be showing up................
    JUST IN CASE............MY WORD FOR 2010 IS
    DO!!!!!!!
    Laurie VF

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Laurie VF says…
    01/03/2010

    AH HA!!!! So now it shows up after I have tried to post 2 which were close to being paperback novels!!!!
    So I will try again (condensed version).!!!!
    My word for 2010 is most certainly
    "DO"......
    I am the biggest procrastinator I have ever met LOL!!!! I do have wonderful creative ability and ideas....unfortunately I keep them in my head!!!! DUH!!! Waiting for big explosion!
    So this year I am just going to "DO"....get it done! Get those pics printed....get all of that "hoarders" beautiful scrapbooking stuff out of my closet and go into a full on scrappin frenzy!!!!
    Ye Ha......that felt exhilarating just to put it into words!!!!
    OK THEN TO 2010 and finishing all of those "Story books of Life" called scrapbooks.
    Laurie VF

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Melissa says…
    01/03/2010

    This is the first year I'm doing this and I'm choosing the word calm.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Cynthia H says…
    01/03/2010

    My word for 2010 is FINISHED. I want to be finished with my dissertation, finished with my honeymoon scrapbook (that has already taken me 4+ years to finish), finished with some quilt projects I started over 5 year ago and finished with feeling like I don't ever finish anything, so that I can be ready to start a new phase of my life with a PhD and hopefully getting pregnant!

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. lia says…
    01/03/2010

    BLOSSOM.
    :)

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  19. Catherine A. says…
    01/03/2010

    My word for 2010 is PLAY. It mostly centers around my desire to slow down a little bit. Enjoy things in my day to day life. A big part of this is really letting go of fear. Trying new things. Drop a bit of the stress and play a lot more. My kids (11, 10 & 8) are growing up so fast and I know that our family time together will change as they get older. I want to really be in the moment with them.

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Diana says…
    01/03/2010

    My one little word came to me in church today. It was almost like our pastor was talking to me. And I listened. There are many things I'd love to improve about myself, and the lynch pin for achieving most of them is "humility." Being humble, acknowledging others, practicing patience, and slowing down to listen and be in the moment are all intertwined. So, I am going to start 2010 by being humble.

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  21. Andrea says…
    01/03/2010

    Mine is REFINE. I wrote a whole post about how this scares the pants off me, too! :) http://www.undergraceovercoffee.com/2009/12/refine.html

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  22. tammy hebert says…
    01/03/2010

    I chose the word APPRECIATE. I want to start appreciating the small things. I want to appreciate doing just everyday things with my kids. I want to appreciate me for me - not the person or body I was 20 years ago. I want to appreciate what we have and do the best with it instead of wanting something else- there will always be something else.
    I want to appreciate life and all that it has to offer.
    APPRECIATE - my one word.
    tammy

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. More Strawberry says…
    01/03/2010

    Flourish!

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Susan says…
    01/03/2010

    Thanks for your post...you inspired my word. My word for 2010 is "energy". Physical, creative, personal, positive, professional, spiritual. I need to refocus myself and gain an energy that I haven't had in the past year.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. amber says…
    01/03/2010

    My word for 2010 is JOY... it means so many things to me - finding joy in all things; being thankful for the things in my life that make me joyful, bringing joy to others, surrounding myself only with things that bring me joy :)

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