Can you believe that in all my years of blogging and working for myself, that I’ve never sat down and figured out a “word of the year” before each new year? So many of my fellow bloggers and online hustlers do this and I don’t know if it was just lack of interest or procrastination, but I’ve never done it.
This time around, I wanted the word to find me. I didn’t want to use some online tool or generator, I didn’t want to ask someone else to choose for me. Over the course of a few days, I kept seeing one word/theme pop up over and over. I finally had a “word of the year”, and it feels like something I can truly stick with.
Brave.
Being brave is already a theme in my life. From being a young mom, losing my mom to cancer when I was 17, to getting married, to traveling internationally, to wearing a two-piece swimsuit in public – there have been big and little moments of bravery.
In 2018 though, this word means more. It means being brave and saying “yes” to things, to trying new things, to going new places. I will be brave and ask for more, create more, try more. I will be brave and face debt and continued weight loss. Maybe I’ll try new foods? Listen to a new style of music? See – being brave can apply to so many little and big aspects of life and it’s time that I stop hesitating and holding myself back.
2017 was a very interesting year. There was much stress and anxiety the first few months and a single decision made that all go away. The rest of the year was more relaxed, and I was my own boss again. Sure, having a boss and a team has its perks, but working for myself has been something I’ve done for so long it’s just who I am. So in 2018, I want to be brave and talk more about that, and support others who want to work for themselves and not be strapped to a 9-5.
If you’ve ever done this “word of the year” thing, what’s your word for 2018? How did you decide on this word?
Here’s to 2018 and being BRAVE.