It is the beginning of the year and we tend to make resolutions to get the New Year started. One popular thing I have seen over the last few years is
the practice of picking a word of the year.
How does a word of the year help you?
Last year is the first year I picked a word for the year. The word I picked was Balance. I have written about how 2019 was very unbalanced. I thought only about work. So by the end of the year I was burnt out. There were so many new things in 2019: new ways of working, new people to meet and total control of my schedule.
Control of my schedule was one of the main reasons I was ready for my new career. 2019 was the first year I had control of my schedule. So how did that work? It didn’t work well. I had new skills to learn- how to work, be productive, move my business forward and still have a full life with friends, activities and work.
Balance became my word of the year for 2020.
The year started out great. I was doing really well with balance. I was getting out and meeting new people, I was starting new things in my business, I was seeing friends and getting work done.
Then Covid hit.
It threw me for a loop. I started to stay home alone and work. At first networking and social things stopped. Everyone was respecting the need to isolate. I really hoped that would solve the problem and we would be free again after a few months. That didn’t happen.
The pandemic has changed life as we knew it.
Online events started popping up. I started to take advantage of them. My life was work along with an online event or two a week. The months dragged on and work was my focus. By June I knew it was time to make a change.
I needed a change of scenery, change of routine and to get back to my word of the year-Balance.
It took a concerted effort to get balance back in my life. I started each day thinking about the word. I wrote down thoughts about balance and what it looks like for me.
I received the book Atomic Habits from my coach. I read it and started to add habits in the way the book suggested. These new habits were the things that started to bring me balance. I made balance a priority by starting my day figuring out what I needed to do, each day, to have it.
How does this relate to self-esteem?
When I have balance, I am a happier person. I honor myself by thinking about my wants and needs. It makes my life fuller and effects my relationship with myself, with others and with my business.
During my evaluation of 2020 I looked at the times I was balanced and unbalanced. I remember how I felt in each situation. I like balanced times better. I felt more confident and self-assured because I was taking care of myself and my business.
Using the word of the year is a great way to remember where I need to keep my focus.