My Word of the Year for 2017

For 2016, rather than making resolutions, I chose a word of the year: authentic. My goal was to stay focused on that word, living an authentic life and remembering who I am, what I value, and what really feeds my spirit. I made myself a “commitment device”–a plaque with my word of the year inscribed across the front–so I’d be reminded of my focus every time I sat down to work on this blog. That little plaque was a great reminder to be honest with myself, and my vision for She Dwells, every time I considered moving in a direction that didn’t feel quite right.

This year, my word of the year will be shaping the content of this blog in more specific ways. My word of the year is Challenge.

I chose that word for several reasons. A challenge can be either a noun or a verb; a challenge can be a thing in itself (like the Ice Bucket Challenge), or it can be an action. You can challenge yourself to do better, to try something new, to pursue a goal. You can challenge a loved one to do the same. A challenge can come from within–it can be a goal you set for yourself–or it can come from an outside source. You can follow someone else’s plan, if you share the goal it’s working toward. A challenge can also be the name you give to a personal struggle.

When I thought about what this year’s commitment device might look like, I realized I had already created one as part of an art class I took with Allyson Bright. I started out with Allyson’s free online course on art journaling,  and from there I moved on to her paid course called Be Your Own Inspiration. One of the assignments in that course was called an “evidence file.”

The collage I created for that assignment helped me remember the many challenges I’ve already undertaken in my life. Among those challenges were moving across the country on my own when I started graduate school, traveling abroad, completing four academic degrees, writing a novel, and raising two beautiful children. I’d lost track of many of those things until I sat down and worked through my “evidence file”–and then I was pretty impressed with myself! So I’m going to keep that collage close by this year. Whenever I’m feeling daunted by a particular challenge, I’ll remind myself that I have already done many difficult things. I’m probably capable of doing one more.

My word of the year is also going to shape the content of this blog. Every month, I plan to offer a new 30-day challenge to the She Dwells community. (Whether you decide to accept that challenge is entirely up to you, of course.) This month’s challenge will be focused on developing small habits that improve personal wellness. You’ll find a PDF file below; you can print it off or download it for easy reference each day. I’ll check in with those of you who are taking the challenge via the She Dwells Facebook page, so be sure you’re following if you want to participate in those conversations.

I’m looking forward to a year filled with challenges that show me who I am and what I value. I hope you’ll join me on that journey!

Download the January Self-Care Challenge: 30 Days of Wellness

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