Word of the Year - 2021 Edition

I used to choose a word of the year every year and in fact, some of what I would consider my “best” years had a word attached to them. Intentional, brave, faith, clarity. Among the things I abandoned in 2020 for one reason or another, I also abandoned setting a word. Reflecting on the year, it wasn’t all bad, but I will say that not having that word makes me think things like chaos, messy and unintentional. And those are words I don’t want attached to any years moving forward.

I don’t wear rose colored glasses and I don’t believe things are going to go back to “normal” in 2021. (Although, I also don’t believe in a “new” normal… but I’ll save that for another day.) One huge lesson I’ve continued to learn throughout this year is that there are just things that I cannot control. And I think that’s okay. I can, however, control myself and my actions and how those actions impact other people. I realized that I felt so much better about myself when I felt I had a purpose. That purpose helps me stay positive and healthy and even though it’s not perfect, it drives me to be a better human.

My purpose, I believe, is to help people, especially those who have struggled with binge eating disorder and obesity. I continue to struggle with binge eating and I’ve defined myself a lot in the past by my appearance. A lot of what I’ve had to work through requires seeing myself differently and not defining my worth based on how other people see me. I believed for a long time that as long as I stayed heavy, there were no expectations.

So, in 2021, I plan to regain control over myself and what gives me purpose. After some prayer and reflection, I realized that what 2021 needs is focus. This word kept popping up for me throughout the last week or so and when I really thought about it, I realized that is what I’ve lacked for at least the last year. I went through the motions to get the minimal amount of work done with no clear direction or focus on what I was doing. I set no goals. I had no real expectations.

I’d love to hear if you’ve chosen a word for the year, either in the past or for next year. And if you have, what word(s) did you choose?

xo,

Jayme