How to Choose a Word for the New Year
You may have noticed a New Year concept that's become very popular recently, instead of outlining a list of goals or resolutions many people are choosing one word to help guide them through 2018 instead. I think its a refreshing idea and really eases off the pressure. I'm usually pretty good at sticking to rules and I love setting myself challenges but this year I wanted to try something with a bit more freedom.
This weekend I did a lot of thinking and I reflected on what I had written in
. I also had my first therapy session since the beginning of August, which is around a five-month gap. I was so nervous to go back and open up but it was one of the best meetings I've ever had with my therapist. I'm now at the point where I'm feeling brave enough to really slow down and maybe even stop my sessions. That is such a strange thought as I had to hit my rock bottom (with regards to my mental state) to begin seeing a professional in the first place. I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to crawl out of that hole but all my hard work is paying off.
I left feeling really proud of everything I've achieved over the past few years and how much work I've put into my mental health. I've learnt that perseverance really pays off. I'm also feeling ready to face new challenges and I'm excited about changing my life and work, something I would have shied away from in the past. Inspired by this I've chosen my word for the year, "leap".
Choosing a word can help you focus on what you really want to achieve. It's a much broader idea when compared to resolutions and that freedom can be really liberating. I took to the community on
last night and I had some great conversations about what words other people have chosen in the comments. Many people have chosen "brave" and "trust" which I found really interesting.
If you'd like some help choosing your word for 2018 one of my all-time favourite bloggers,
, has created a really useful print out that you can fill in to make the choice easier.