My One Word for 2018
Friends, it’s that time again. The time to reflect on the previous year & dream up goals for the next. It is indeed one of my favorite times – I’m naturally a goal setter, a dreamer. I love regularly checking back & tracking my progress as I move forward.
And I firmly believe this mixed with a little magic, grace & luck has led us to where we are now.
One simple way I channel my dreams & visions for the new year is by picking one word. This word acts as my anchor throughout the months, consistently calling me to be intentional in my actions, choices, words & habits.
In 2013, I chose Joy. In 2014, I lived out Quality. In 2015, my one word was Pursuit. In 2016, the word Provision rang true in my life. In 2017, Peace was my anthem.
2017 was undoubtedly a hard year for so many of us. I was so thankful for the word Peace & just how transformative it was in my every day life. As I write this, tears well up just thinking of how much I grew & learned from this year.
I learned to quiet myself & listen a little more (though I have so much more work to do in this area). I softened my temper & resisted the need to argue back. I fully healed from a difficult business relationship & retreated when I felt myself growing weary.
I have so much work to do still, but I am thankful for what 2017 taught me.
And as I cast a line out into the great waters of what 2018 might be, I am drawn to the word Better.
I have established many healthy habits & tools in my life – what might it look like if I dedicated an entire year to better utilizing those tools & better establishing those habits? I’m not looking to add more to my life, I’m simply working toward bettering those systems already in place.
Below are some areas of my life in need of fine tuning:
1. My health journey – As I draw closer & closer to earning Lifetime as a Weight Watcher (which simply means achieving a livable & obtainable weight goal set by me & my doctor), I want to challenge myself to better my eating habits & pay attention to what my body needs. I hope to keep accountable by sharing my journey more openly online. Stay tuned for more on this as the year unfolds…
2. Movement – I have joined a new gym & really look forward to getting back into a sustainable fitness schedule. I plan to try out a handful of classes & look forward to finding something I actually enjoy rather than dreading those 30 minutes dedicated to activity. This area will be the hardest for me as I often tell myself I don’t have enough time or it’s not important. I’d love to read your strategy on how you make activity a daily part of your life.
3. Work – I learned SO MUCH in 2017 at Freckled Hen Farmhouse. I look forward to putting into place what I learned & making our little shop a richer, better experience for our patrons in 2018. I am excited to lead as a more confident boss & better our systems to make Freckled Hen a more sustainable business. I plan to take a business retreat with Luke to really write out & think up how we might put this all into action. Just the thought makes me giddy!
Friends, what’s your word for 2018? How has choosing one word each year impacted your life? Please do share all of your thoughts in the comments.
love,
natalie
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Nikki Toth | 30th Dec 17
I love reading about how your choice of theme for the upcoming year has anchored your heart and mind! I am inspired to find my own anchor for 2018!
I just wanted to share what made the difference for me when it came to making movement and exercise a daily part of my life. About 2 years ago I was dealing with major anxiety and migraines (the latter I've had most of my life). I did a few things, including having my hormones checked, giving up caffeine, and exercising consistently. I joined a gym and found a class that I love that is held 4x per week. There is a core group of us who are there regularly – everyone is friendly and we've seemed to bond over making it through the workouts together. 🙂 I love these particular classes because they're different every day and I don't get bored! (Let me know if you want details!) Also, they're at 6am, which is super important for me because I get it done and can get on with my day. I also feel great, knowing that I've already done something hard…and I feel empowered to do more hard things!
Blessings to you on a wonderful 2018!
Unknown | 30th Dec 17
I love the word Better! Mine this year is NURTURE. And I need to apply it to all areas of my life. Like you, I'm focusing on my health and weight loss more than ever this year, learning to nurture my body and truly take care of it. I plan to nurture my relationship with Jesus, my husband and my children. I feel like taking the extra time to nurture myself and my loved ones will make me more gentle, kind and truly focused on doing what's best. Happy New Year!
Unknown | 30th Dec 17
I love following along with your health journey ad while I am not using Weight Watchers, I have been very inspired by you and have lost quite a bit of weight over the past year and a half. As for fitness, I only recently started taking it seriously and what really made me find priority was coming the realization that I’m not getting any younger and while I may “only” be 31, the choices I make today will drastically impact my future self. I also set goals for myself to keep me motivated. Also, trying different things to find something you enjoy helps… and when all else fails, I just tell myself “It’s 1 hour and even if you dont go hard, you’re still going!”
Martha Londagin | 30th Dec 17
The simple act of planning your daily life and choosing a positive word to guide and comfort you is so healthy and good. Stopping to appreciate every day we are given in this life in whatever manner is lovely and makes God smile. Yay for you Miss Natalie!
joy | 31st Dec 17
Just a little note of encouragement on the gym, because I finally accepted a few years ago that I just won't show up at a gym and no amount of knowing I'm paying a fee or bringing a friend will make me. That was step one (for me). I love soccer and I play that 3 nights a week. And though, I don't really lose the weight I would like with it, I feel stronger when I do it and, most importantly, I show up. I've been reading a number of different articles that they are saying more and more now that you set yourself up for failure if you try to use activity/working out as a means to loose weight. It's awesome for getting and maintaining HEALTH, but really kind of sucks for losing weight. Food is where you should focus for that. So, my note of encouragement to you is just to use the gym as a means to HEALTH and not weight loss. So even if you only allow yourself to listen to your podcast/book on tape when you are walking on the treadmill (at the most ridiculously comfortable speed) and never break a sweat, that will enforce the HABBIT of going. And then you can go from there. I'm sure you can get some great books and podcast recommendations via your blog and instagram if you don't already have some. I found that not allowing myself to listen until I was on my walks/treadmill was a pretty sure way to get me to go do that. Good luck with it and as other commenters have said, we find your health/weight loss journey inspiring so excited that you are going to share more of your ups and downs with it in the coming year!
Aimee Kollmansberger | 4th Jan 18
Your word reminds me of the phrase in the book Essentialism that says, "Less But Better". It's a great mantra!
Ashley | 5th Jan 18
My 2018 word is Fruitful. I love that not only does it mean productive but also the connotations with pregnancy. My husband and I are currently trying to have a baby, and the word makes me smile without the anxiousness and stress that comes with trying to get pregnant.