Monday Matters: Choosing your Word Of The Year and setting some related intentions

A few days ago, I watched a YouTube video from content creator and maker Emma at Plan Inspire Create. It was all about selecting a word of the year, thinking about different meanings for the word and setting some intentions for the year based on the term. As I was watching, I was aware that we are almost half way through January, which might seem a little bit late for such an activity but, then I thought about the fact that there are still eleven and a half months remaining, so plenty of time to set intentions and live by the selected word. Today I’m going to share tips for choosing your word and ways in which you can set aims with regard to different aspects of your life. I’ll share my word of the year and the bullet journal spreads where I explore the term in depth.

Choosing your word

Personally, my ideal word, ‘create’ popped into my head straight away and I was brimming with ideas to bring into fruition. However, if you’re in need of some inspiration, you may want to look at lists and select words which seem appealing. A good way of doing this is to pop on Pinterest and search ‘Word of the Year’. It’s important not to rush the process as there are likely to be a number of words which resonate and feel like they might be the one. When I need help deciding, I create a list of words which have potential and then take time to consider each one before making my choice.

After choosing my word, I used letter stamps and one of my new embossing powders (which I got from my lovely friend Bev) to create shiny letters which I then cut out individually. I also used smaller letter stamps to create a ‘Word of the year’ title. These are going to be used in a dedicated bullet journal spread where I explore what the word means and my intentions for living by it. This will create a record which I can refer back to regularly. I’ve already shared my vision board for the first quarter of the year and this shows some of the ways I’m focusing on being creative too.

Look how many times I used my chosen word in the above paragraphs and you’ll see why I selected it!

Considering different meanings of your word

Emma recommended a website called WordHippo which has a ‘thesaurus and word tools for your creative needs’. I found it really useful for considering different meanings for my word and synonyms too. I copied down the particularly relevant definitions/contexts and also made a note of similar words to use in my BuJo spreads. I was amazed by how much information I took from the site.

Create

• To bring into existence
• To design with a new shape or form
• To be creative or imaginative
• To start or establish
• To cause or bring about through action
• To take the first step into something

I created a list of synonyms and used Word It Out to make a word cloud:

I love creating word clouds and I like to print them and stick them in my bullet journal.

Setting some intentions relating to your chosen word

To help you set intentions you can refer to the segments of The Wheel Of Life or The Wheel Of Wellness as your categories or create your own based on the areas of your life that you feel need most work. I decided to combine ideas from both wheels and create a few of my own titles. The following should help you with setting up yours based on your chosen word. You might also find information from WordHippo useful too.

Health and fitness

• Continue to eat a balanced diet, keep up with getting plenty of active minutes each day and maintain a good sleep routine so that I have plenty of energy for creative persuits.
• Practice self care to maintain good mental health e.g. engage in mindful activities and find ways to relax each evening and on weekends.

Financial

• Set aside some money each month for creative projects.
• Try to use the craft materials I already have rather than buying new things.
• Continue to make myself available for PCPI work so I have income to use for creative resources.

Family and friends

• Meet regularly with Bev so we can share the results of our creative endeavours, celebrate our achievements, offer praise, encouragement and ideas.

Contribution / giving

• Post regularly on my blog sharing motivational and inspirational content related to my bullet journal, living your best life and being productive
• Continue to consider how I’m making a difference to the students I work with – find ways to record experiences in my journal

Physical environment

• Make tidying and organising my craft room a priority so I know where materials and tools are and have room to work on creative activities.
• Use my garden journal to identify tasks for the different months, record new plants and include photos to document changes over time.

Social connection

• Create opportunities to connect with others through shared passions e.g. animal welfare, nature, crafting, blogging, fitness, bullet journalling
• Be open to all types of PCPI work and consider how my roles are helping others in their chosen profession

Passion

• Continue to choose a highlight for my day so that I have dedicated time each week to focus on journalling, blogging and particular creative projects I’m currently working on.
• Make time to regularly think about my progress towards goals and how I am living my life in a way that reflects my word of the year and my personal values.

Emotional

• Create balance between the different aspects of my life and regularly check in with how I’m feeling.
• Remember that my energy levels are lower at certain times of year and ensure that I don’t take on too much to retain emotional wellness.
• Assess how I’m coping with changes and any challenges.

Marriage

• Find opportunities for new experiences with my husband. Harness the power of firsts to create happy memories together.
• Find a different vegetarian/vegan recipe each week and enjoy the experience of creating dishes together in the kitchen.

Final words…

I hope that today’s blog post has been helpful and encouraged you to take steps to create a life you love. If you prefer to work with images more than words, you could even create a vision board of pictures which represent how you would like to instill your word of the year. Let me know in the comments if you’ve chosen a word for 2023 and what it is.

Wishing you everything you hope for,