my 2021 word of the year…

Well, well, well, 2021 welcome!!! Never have I ever been SO glad for that clock to strike midnight and I have a feeling EVERY SINGLE ONE of you are in agreement to usher out 2020 and never look back. Since we’re starting an all new year, it’s only fitting that we talk about my new word of the year… for the past two years, I’ve intentionally set words instead of resolutions and it’s helped shame my frame of mind and focus so much more, both personally and professionally. I find myself more excited to try new things, not getting frazzled by unexpected occurrences and feel like I can handle anything else that comes my way when I take a breath and think of that one little word of mine.

For 2020, my word was J•O•Y and I tried my best to embody that message every single day. Sure, there were days that it was hard to put on a smile or not think about the challenges we were all facing, but my mantra kept my life balanced in a way I’d never felt before and it was quite fitting all things considered. You can read more about my 2020 word JOY and how I came up with that intention here.

Now, onto something new… for what it’s worth, I am going to try my best to make this short and sweet, but with the idea that me sharing gives you some hope for what’s to come in 2021… a little pep in our step, a new meaning to how you intend to spend your days, etc. We all know I’m chatty and can’t help myself when it comes to oversharing, so here goes nothing:

When I sat down to think about my word of the year for 2021, I reflected on my intentions… what I want to accomplish, how  + what I want to share, what I hope to better within myself, my hope to change and evolve–you know, making ALL the lists like my type-A self enjoys. How can I be a better mom, wife, friend, daughter and all those things wrapped into one word?? I jotted down a handful of words that came to mind and these were the shortlisted ones that stood out:

Once I made that shortlist, I started thinking of which of these words could apply to all facets of my life and how I could conquer within any of these set parameters… easier said than done my friends, I promise you that. I started asking myself ‘which of these would serve as a constant, a reminder to focus on creating positive change in my life and help me achieve my goals?’. Once that was done, I wrote each down on a sticky note [high-tech right?!?!] and then started eliminating the ones that somply didn’t “fit”… finally, I landed on:

Let’s Celebrate… honestly, I want more of ALL the words above, but more than anything, I want to celebrate every single bit of my life this year. The crazy, the chaotic, the unknown = all of it. Instead of being scared and intimidated about what could transpire, I’m choosing to celebrate. I always speak to the quote “celebrate we will, for life is short but sweet” and I intend to live out that affirmation right here and now. Funny enough, this word was the word I misspelled in 5th grade to get 2nd place in the spelling bee and not win… my how life reminds you of these little “misses” from time to time ;).

I want to celebrate when I hit a goal in my personal fitness journey [P.S. I’m back at it in all things Faster Way to Fat Loss in the new year and today marks the official start date if you’re still wanting to hop on–join my group here], I hope to celebrate when I get to partner up with some of the brands on my bucket list for this year [I’ve got some BIG names on there, but if you don’t set big goals, big things won’t happen], and I want to celebrate when people I love accomplish something big or small they’re working for… it may sound trivial, but it doesn’t have to be overly complicated and I want to celebrate all the wins, NO MATTER WHAT. Last year taught me a lot, especially being grateful for health and family, among other things in life and I think that’s reason enough to celebrate.

Ready to choose your own word of the year?? It’s not that challening I promise. Here are a few tips for finding the perfect topic for YOU:

ONE. start a list of words that jump out to you in ways that are meaningful and purposeful to your year ahead… Instagram is ALWAYS a great place to get ideas + inspiraton if you hit a roadblock

TWO. from that list, select the top 3-5 and write them down on sticky notes so you can see them for the next few days

THREE. give it some time and see which one word continues to rise to the top of your mind and helps evoke the emotions you want to exude in 2021–I know, soudns easier than it may be, but it’ll come to you!

If you’ve already chosen your word for the year, what is it and WHY did you choose it??? Such a fun topic of conversation to get us motivated, thinking about the future and planning for positivity, too… Happy New Year friends! P.S. I was shocked that only 3 people guessed my word correctly, so they’re receiving Starbucks gift cards from me today, too.

Do you have a word of the year?  Let me know in a comment below!