Word of the Year #Oneword365

Words of the year are hokey. 

At least, I thought so several Decembers ago when I first noticed people online mentioning they’d chosen a word of the year. Stating one word out loud as an intention had the power to transform your life? Pfff. C’mon people, it’s just a word. Where’s the SMART goals, the action plans, the daily to-do lists? Perhaps I’m just a wee bit of a Type A judge-y person. Probably I should work on that in 2020, eh?

New Year’s Resolutions don’t work, either. 

When I belonged to our local YMCA, I bristled at the January 2^nd crowds who flocked to my Monday night yoga class while I unrolled my mat among well-meaning strangers. After two or three weeks, those healthy wannabes had already fallen off the resolution wagon leaving plenty of space for me and my deeply ingrained exercise habits to Downward Dog and Exalted Warrior until my heart was content.

The turning point was the year I became 50. 

I set challenging goals centered around writing, running, and dreaming what the next twenty or thirty years would hold. The daily discipline I’d nurtured over years of carefully tracking my eating, exercising, and writing helped me set a personal best time in a half marathon, control my weight, and finish my first mystery novel. 

Buoyed by success, in 2019 I chose my own word of the year. 

Shine. I found several cool quotes and prayers that included my word. I bought a t-shirt that said simply, “Shine” and a bracelet that said “Let your light shine.” It was private. I didn’t post it anywhere except the front page of my bullet journal. A focal point when I was discouraged by the amount of work required to accomplish my dreams. 

2019 has been a wonderful year in many shiny, visible ways. My first book published, our daughter married a great guy, our grandson is the most adorable toddler on the planet, our family is healthy, my husband and I accompanied our mothers on a European adventure of a lifetime, I attended my first mystery writers convention. During the waning weeks of December, my second mystery and first children’s picture book illustrated by my talented sister were published. Check. And check. 

So much gratitude. So many blessings. 2019 shined.

In reflecting on a word for 2020, I had to admit that during my pursuit of shininess, the foundation of my carefully disciplined life has crumbled away in incremental chunks. Months camped out behind a laptop keyboard writing, revising, and revising the revisions turned into fewer running hours and more excuses to eat unhealthy food. The balanced life I’ve worked towards teeters on the brink of instability.

For 2020, my word is Build. 

Starting with the exercise and eating habits that support a healthy foundation for the body I inhabit. To the Christmas cookies, crispy fries, and nacho chip dips I’ve feasted on the past weeks, it’s time we said goodbye again. When tempted to skip the fruit or grab a cookie, I will think “Build my muscles and body,” and back away. Instead, I’ll build running stamina by running a mile or two.

Build is a great word because it applies to so many pieces of life’s puzzles. Build upon my faith. Build family relationships. Build friendships. Build my publishing business by building my writing discipline and building reader relationships. 

If you don’t know where to begin, this #Oneword365 website describes the idea and gives examples. You can even announce your word online and find a tribe of like-minded friends to cheer you on in 2020.

And me? I’m looking for inspirational quotes, Bible verses, and fellow #Build -ers. I can’t wait to see what we can build together!!

What’s your word for 2020? 

Share your word in the comments and what you hope to accomplish in 2020. 

Kelly Brakenhoff is an American Sign Language interpreter and the author of the Cassandra Sato Mystery Series, including Death by Dissertation and Dead Week. She also writes the Duke the Deaf Dog ASL Series for children.