OneWord2022. By this point, I’m sure you have seen the social media posts. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and everyone’s blog are filled with people ringing in the New Year with their #OneWord2022 carefully selected to frame their year. EVERYone is eager to say Goodbye to 2021, so I am not surprised to experience a renewed energy in resolutions and goals for the new year.
Many years ago, I, too, embraced the #OneWord challenge. In fact, I traded lists of New Years Resolutions for #OneWord to drive my decisions and focus my reflection for the entire year. I’ve created artwork, designed screensavers for my phone, and placed my word on a Post-It note on my desk — all deliberate reminders to use it daily.
Previous #OneWord selections include Fearless (2014), Move (2015), Simplify (2016), Intentional (2017), Cultivate (2018), Embrace (2019), Focus (2020), and Invest (2021).
Last year’s selection, INVEST, turned out to be particularly important amidst the continued pandemic that impacted every profession, especially health care and education. In a world where flexibility and the ability to pivot on a dime were traits that kept us afloat, the need to INVEST in what was most important was critical. As we move into 2022 with a hope of a return to normalcy, I hope that we take what we intentionally weave what we have learned into the years ahead. Our newfound skills – as parents, teahers, and students – are the ingredients to transform the future of education, a change that is long overdue.
As the world around us changed at the speed of light, my FOCUS shifted, too. As a result, I changed how I invested in myself, my family, my friends, my community, and my career. With intention, I invested in what I could control: my response to a pandemic. No, I could not control the outbreaks in my area, the decisions made by local and state governmental agencies, or the rapid-fire cancellations that stole hopes and dreams. I invested in opportunities to unplug, as the slower pace of life gave us space to simply be. I invested in relationships, personal growth, adventures, and enjoying the world around me. I invested in my health and my home. We decluttered our home of physical things, while filling our lives with memories of beach days, great reads in the porch swing, runs on empty roads, and photogenic sunsets.
Last year was tough…but equally amazing.
These moments deserved my investment.
We celebrated: The big accomplishments, the small victories, and the things that bring smiles to everyday life.
While INVEST was selected for an entirely different reason, it turned out to be the perfect word to maintain my positive compass as I traveled through 2021.
2022, however, is a different story.
Each year, I wait patiently for the word to find me – in a quote, in a song, or in a book that I am reading, or in a conversation. I reach for a word that is different… not from a list. With only minutes before this year’s chapter closes, I had started to worry that my word had not emerged.
I pondered. I researched. I thought. I reflected.
And, sitting on a sidewalk with my daughter, waiting for the new year to ring in, it hit me…
My #OneWord2022 will be BELIEVE.
Last year, I invested…but, to truly reap the benefits of an investment, you must also BELIEVE in the possibility. This year, I vow to believe in myself – that I am capable of the goals that I have set for myself. They are lofty, but I have the time, energy, and skills to crush them.
I hope that you join me on the journey!
- Believe that I can achieve the best physical health of my life through movement, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and self-care
- Believe that I can grow in my professional career through reading, listening, and learning
- Believe that I can create
- Believe that I can lead
- Believe that my voice and ideas have value.
- Believe I am worthy of gratitude and joy
#OneWord2022 Believe
Cheers to your New Year,
Holly