Happy January! I hope that you are enjoying a fresh start to the new decade.

For a few years now, I have picked a Word Of The Year, so today I wanted to share my word for 2020 with you. I’ll also share some thoughts on how to pick your own, if you haven’t already.

“ The most important words are the ones you tell yourself. ”

Isn’t that is so true? And this is why I think that setting an intention in the form of a word is a great way to manifest from our conscious and sub-conscious mind, what it is that we want more, or less of. It matters what we tell ourselves. If we believe in ourselves, we will most certainly find a way forward. Even if it is a baby step.

It all counts.

 

Checking the review mirror

As per the usual when the year turns over, I spend some time reflecting on what I see in the review mirror for the year that passed. Successes and failures – they all play a part. It has taken me many years to learn how to live outside my comfort zone, asking for help when I need it, be honest with myself, not worry about things I can’t control and to share bits about myself without the fear of being judged.

I am still very much a work in progress and can claim to have only slightly improved in those areas I just mentioned – there is still more work to do for sure. But I am super proud of the work that I have done. It’s not always easy to “show up” for the challenges that comes along, or to embrace change. Even small incremental steps forward are in fact monumental.

So let’s not forget to be kind to ourselves when we look back at the past year, OK.

Celebrate all successes!

My word for 2020

Normally, I do quite a bit of thinking and pondering around what word to pick and what feels like the right one… But this year, it was a little different. There was one word that insistently kept popping up in my mind. I didn’t like the word AT ALL and I certainly didn’t think it was the right one. However, the stubborn word just kept repeating itself and no matter how I tried to force my mind into a different direction, the word would come back like a bad penny.

The word was communication. My thoughts around this “obviously wrong word” went along these lines:

“What the heck. Go away, word. What does communication have to do with me? That doesn’t sound like a motivating or fitting word for me at all. As a matter of fact, communication is one of my strengths and this is nothing that I need to work or improve on. I need to think of something else.”

And so I would try my best to push it aside and think of other “better” words. But I had no success whatsoever. Finally, I gave up and decided a little halfheartedly to try and see if communication possibly could fit as my word for 2020. Just to say I tried. And of course, as you have probably already guessed – as soon as I just gave it a whirl, it made perfect sense for all sorts of reasons. I know! Seriously! I’ll explain why next.

So, why Communication…?

Revelation #1: I had taken my skill for granted

So, it hit me: If I consider communication one of my strengths… am I really using it to it’s full potential? To MY full potential? Is there work to do here, maybe…?

Are there instances where I am using this skill without really applying myself all the way, just because it comes natural to me? The honest answer was Yes…

Immediately, I could see situations where I had been making it easy on myself by delivering on a good or great level for the circumstance, but not actually contributed with ALL that I could offer.

Revelation #2: I was afraid to communicate due to fear

I started to see that there were areas in my life where I wasn’t using my strength in communication AT ALL. Some areas I had managed to by-pass pretty eloquently. One of the areas was particularly interesting – in my relationship with my husband!

Of course, I am talking to Chris on a daily basis about all sorts of things, some of them trickier than others. But when I looked at it honestly, I could clearly see that I would avoid communicating about the things that really mattered.

Some things I had just decided that there was no point in talking about, so I just carried them on my own shoulders without telling him how it affected me. That can’t be good!

Some things I had decided would hurt him to much if I told him.

And some topics felt too difficult for me to talk about out of fear of being judged. Again… clearly something to work on, right?

Revelation #3: I believe that communication will make a difference

So, after a bit of pondering, thinking and noodling, it made sense that this was indeed my word. Communication. Yep! Now it made perfect sense. There is too large of a mismatch or gap between how important I intellectually KNOW that communication is, and how I am actually applying it. So it’s a perfect focus for me for 2020.

So, what I want most in 2020 is to use my super power of communication for good, for myself and everyone around me!

Now it’s your turn

Have you decided on your word of the year yet, or are you still thinking?

Words are such an inspiration and play a vital part of our every day. It can bring clarity and focus and give us strength and purpose when we need it.

Picking your word is best done when you are relaxed and have plenty of time. Make sure to be open-minded (like I was, LOL.) and calm. It shouldn’t be rushed or reactionary.

Here is a link to last year’s blog with the words you submitted and a long list of ideas for words to start tickling your brain: https://nillawebber.com/wordoftheyear-2019/

I would be so happy to hear some of your thoughts about your word for 2020. Feel free to share in the comments below.

As always, shine bright out there.

XOXO,

Nilla