Why I (Still) Choose A Word Of The Year
...And Also What I Chose!
The Story
Every year when I was young, I’d greet the new year by spreading out all the things that were most important to me on my Laura Ashley bedspread. Each object represented something I wanted to continue, or wished for more of, in the new year: notes passed in school (friendship); dried flowers from my Homecoming date (romance); my flute (music); my journal (writing); a crystal my grandmother gave me (healing from cancer).
On New Year’s Eve I’d put it all on the bed and take a picture, then leave it there until I went to sleep (usually before midnight— I’ve always been a “lark,” even as a teenager).
I wish I still had those pictures. Damn you, basement flood of 2008!
I don’t do this anymore— my husband, I’m sure, would find it very odd if I started laying objects across our bed— but I do reflect on the past year, make goals for the coming year, and use a single word to guide me on the journey ahead. Yes, this practice comes from the self-help/business world, but I have found it surprisingly effective. One of my most successful words several years ago was ACCEPT. I treated it like a mantra, whispering it to myself whenever I encountered something I couldn’t control. It worked very well during the pandemic.
Last year’s word was RAINBOW, and it was one of my favorites ever. I used it to remind myself of life balance— I assigned each color of the rainbow to a segment of my life (red was family, orange was writing, blue was teaching, and so on), and made sure that I was planning or nurturing in all categories. I’m still using that system now. Even better, I made Rainbow Brite my unofficial mascot for the year and collected several stickers, a calendar (thanks, Mom!) and even a wallet!
This year I’ve decided that my word will be GARDEN, and while it won’t be a mantra like ACCEPT, or a life-organization system like RAINBOW, I believe it will be an effective reminder of something even deeper.
A gardener doesn’t start from nothing. There’s always raw material: soil, water, sun, seedlings. I’m at the point of my life where I have a lot of what I need: partnership, support, a stable career, hobbies and passions, a home I love, a strong sense of self. That’s my raw material. But there’s always potential for more.
This year, I’ll be asking myself: What can I grow from what I already have?
And: What can I grow from who I already am?
In practical terms, I want GARDEN to guide me toward the following in 2025:
Giving attention to my literal flower garden and making it my own (we’ve lived in our house for two springs; it’s time).
Creating an environment where my children will flourish, without micromanaging the details.
Focusing on my strengths/talents at this stage of my life and using them to spread seeds for the future: pursuing new ideas, joining new communities, making new friends.
Concentrating my efforts locally.
Taking a broader perspective in terms of what blossoms and what dies on the vine; accepting that I don’t have ultimate control over what things “work out” in life when other people/circumstances are involved.
Understanding that life is messy and also beautiful.
Remembering the mantra, “I already have everything I need.”
Upcoming Series
In the spirit of GARDEN, I’m planting the seed of a new system for organizing “Good Character” posts. I’ll be doing a series of posts on a topic, similar to the trio of posts from December: What “Good Character” Is All About; What “Accomplishment” Is All About; What “Doing vs. Being” Is All About. I really enjoyed the chance to think about an idea from multiple perspectives and even occasionally contradict myself. It feels like the next level of Good Character— a deepening, or “taking root,” if you will.
The theme for our upcoming series will be VALUES. While reflecting on 2024, I’ve spent a lot of thought on what values a person of Good Character might hold. I’ll be focusing on that topic for the next several posts. We’ll see where it takes us!
Welcome To The Good Character Community!
Since I last posted, we’ve once again welcomed so many new subscribers that I can’t even list them all by name. Thank you for joining us! Please consider introducing yourself in the comments or via email, and telling me what you think “Good Character” means, or what topics you hope I’ll explore.
Stuff You Might Like To Know
IN A FLASH published its first author-focused issue on January 1, and we are all so proud of it! Our first featured author is David Grubb with his superb, heart-stopping piece, “I Should, But Don’t.” Give it a read!
In reading news, I reached my goal of 90 books for 2024 by the skin of my teeth— at noon on December 31! Since it’s the fashion to share these lists, here were my favorite books of the year. These are the ones that stuck with me long after I finished reading.
Fiction:
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
Wellness by Nathan Hill
Family Family by Laurie Frankel
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Nonfiction:
Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen by Michelle Icard
A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
It was a good year for fiction, it seems! I love nonfiction, though, so I’ll be looking for a better balance next year.
Happy New Year, everyone. Keep hoping. Keep caring. Keep trying.