One Little Word® 2017 | Connect

Another trip around the sun is coming to a close. 

My overwhelming feeling at the end of this year is wholehearted thankfulness. For the whole of it. The hard parts and the easy parts and the parts in between. It's something we can count on - that crazy mixture of highs and lows and normals - throughout the 365 days we call a year in our lives. 

I absolutely loved focusing on the word "whole" as my One Little Word® for 2016. It is a word that I will carry with me for the rest of my life - "open" is another one that I feel strongly about. Whole challenged me in the ways I needed to be challenged and wrapped me up in goodness in so many other ways. I loved asking questions about the different pieces of my own whole and looking deeper into what it means to me to feel "whole." 

It's crazy when I think back on all the words I've had over the years (I started this practice in 2006):

  • Play
  • Peace
  • Vitality
  • Nurture
  • Story
  • Light
  • Up
  • Open
  • Thrive
  • Give
  • Whole

For 2017 I'm choosing to explore my life through the lens of the word "connect."

I'm ending 2016 and beginning 2017 by connecting directly and in person with my immediate family (parents, brother, sister + all their families) at my parents house on the coast. I'm already including "connect" in daily thoughts as I go about the regular stuff of my life - asking myself how I'm connecting with this and that and especially focusing on what I can disconnect from (love the angle of including the opposite of my word). 

This blended family life is offering me a whole lot of opportunities for connection and I don't want to miss those. We've all been sinking in to this "new normal" around here - life is such a series of "new normals" isn't it? We get used to a situation or a piece of our lives and then something changes - for better or worse - and then we are forced (either kicking and screaming or accepting or a crazy combination of those emotions) to adapt to the "new" normal. What I have learned over the last so many years is that we are always riding that wave - either in the beginning or the end or somewhere in between. It is life. It is our life. What we get to choose is how we respond and live through all those moments. 

In 2017 I hope to specifically investigate areas related to connecting with myself, connecting with others (especially family and community), connecting with work, and connecting with nature/outdoors (I feel a strong pull towards that this year). I also plan to focus on the idea of disconnecting in order to make sure I'm living in alignment with my highest values. 

If you'd like to hear me talk more about this topic, check out a new podcast I did earlier this week with Elise about our words from last year and this year. It's a very candid conversation about what's worked and not worked related to both choosing and living with our words. 

My wonderful little heart shown above is from Liz Lamoreux and is called a Whole Heart Pocket Talisman. It's a wonderful way to keep your word close throughout the year. 

SHARE YOUR WORD IN THE COMMENTS

I’d love to read what word you’ve chosen or are considering for 2017. In the comments feel free to simply leave your word as your comment or write a bit about why you are choosing this word. Next week I’ll combine all the words into a single post – it's become tradition and super inspiring to see all the words in one place.

If you’re new to the concept of One Little Word®, you can read some of my previous posts here: 200720082009201020112012201320142015 and 2016.

JOIN ME IN MAKING OUR WORDS VISIBLE

To help keep your One Little Word® more visible throughout the year I offer a year-long workshop featuring one creative prompt per month. Read all the details and sign up here. Registration is $5 off until December 31, 2016. I've also created a selection of products to help you document your journey with your word - check those out here (stamps will be restocked later in January and we have a pre-order happening for an additional restock of the blue albums that will arrive in late March/early April). During the One Little Word® 2017 Kick-Off ordering period (between now and 1/31/17), items featured on the One Little Word® 2017 page are eligible for free shipping domestic and $5 international. If you add any other items from the shop to your cart, normal shipping rates will apply to those additional items.

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430 thoughts

  1. ellenchatfield says…
    12/29/2016

    LIGHT!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. PoochPatrol says…
    12/29/2016

    Learn

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. nbeltane says…
    12/29/2016

    I have spent a month or so writing down notes / words, and then i was doing some online shopping a few days ago, and this word kept coming up on some jewellery pieces.

    BELIEVE.

    With my quote of the year as "She Believed she could so she did"

    My Words so far.
    2017 // Believe
    2016 // Focus
    2015 // Love
    2014 // Journey
    2013 // Be
    2012 // Write
    2011 // Capture
    2010 // New
    2009 // Create

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. rabbitjune says…
    12/29/2016

    Grow Don't laugh but part of the reason I chose it is no E's. Seriously I am facing a divorce, selling my home, and a big move in 2017. I want to Grow as a person and to find out who I am and what my place is in this world. I want to grow in my faith, my self confidence, grow in physical strength, in mental stability, and I am sure I will find many other ways to use it.

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. cackles55 says…
    12/29/2016

    My word is pray/prayer.

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. dailydwelling says…
    12/29/2016

    Simplify

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. krista_denno says…
    12/29/2016

    I have tried this two years in a row: Two years ago, my marriage began to end. One year ago, I separated from being part of a pair.
    This year, I feel new again, more like me than the last 13 years since my marriage began. My word is CHANGE: for the better, what I want to change, the changes I'm noticing in myself, my daughters, the good changes we face, the not so good changes we endure and grow from together. The change I want to see and the change I'd like to see go! Change is a daily thing and an evolution in our lives. I'm excited to finally be in a head space to reflect and learn and grow more with this word. Thanks, Ali! :)

    "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Ghandi

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. mdnolton2 says…
    12/29/2016

    My word is shine. I have spent most of my life hiding. It's time to be out there!

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. kja313 says…
    12/29/2016

    Triumph

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. awmommy says…
    12/29/2016

    Create: create happiness, change, patience, peace, etc.

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. alfamare says…
    12/29/2016

    I really struggled this year, changed my word from work to contentment in March, only completed 6 prompts, and was going to give up on OLW. Then I went thru my book from 2015, and what I did finish this year, and signed up for 2017. I've been focusing too much on myself so my word for 2017 is give. Thanks Ali, One Little Word is awesome.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Olivia says…
    12/29/2016

    Build. I want to build myself & others up. I want to build a home I love. I want to build better relationships with those I love. I want to build myself in my faith & also physically. Lots to build & work on. I'm also thinking a lot about light & intentions, so I think those are words that will ride along in the background with me as I build a better me.

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. gina200 says…
    12/29/2016

    My word from last year came to me in October - SHINE and then I didn't do much with it. My original epiphany about it sort of fizzled out early in the year. I wasn't going to choose a word this year but I'd really like to try again. Overall, my life mantra is "balance" so that would be my initial choice but I feel like that's a cop out.
    I think this year's word is EMBRACE.

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. dweiss says…
    12/29/2016

    2015_ choose
    2016_ believe
    2017_ Strong

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. jessicadzl says…
    12/29/2016

    2017 Embrace
    2016 Light
    2015 Thrive

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. LoveJacCards says…
    12/29/2016

    My 2017 word is "FILL". Life is very full these days (I have a 5 year old and 3 year old) and I don't see that changing. I do believe I have a say in how I fill it, so this year I'm going to fill our life with love and laughter, fill our calendar with adventures and get-togethers, and fill our days with kindness.

    I love having my word be a verb! I think there can be other fun ways to incorporate fill as well. (I.e. Fill my cup...)

    Thanks for intoducing me to this concept. I'm excited for another year of OLW.

    Jackie

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. mrsmahersbar says…
    12/29/2016

    Thrive because 2016 was about accepting my story and now it's time to live well in spite of it.

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. sparkle says…
    12/29/2016

    Cultivate

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. AudreyV says…
    12/29/2016

    whole hearted

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. aligee says…
    12/29/2016

    2016 has been a challenging year for me in many ways. My word was RISE... and it wants to stay with me for 2017. I'm hoping it will help me navigate much unprocessed grief and the decision to leave the family home with my 6-year-old daughter and begin anew.

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. gdtch4 says…
    12/29/2016

    fascinate

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. SierraB6 says…
    12/29/2016

    Breathe. There are a lot of changes headed my way in 2017.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Janet_White says…
    12/29/2016

    Flow. Need to give up even more control and just follow the flow I find or that finds me.

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. tammyturner5 says…
    12/29/2016

    Mindful

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Mcfore says…
    12/29/2016

    This year Happy
    2016 Resilience
    2015 Listen
    2014 Enough

    Reply 0 Replies

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