Health: 2021 Word Of The Year

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I am not totally sure where the word of the year started, but I have seen many leaders choose a word of the year at the beginning of the year. Instead of creating over-ambitious and strict, specific goals for the entire year, a word of the year gives you guidance throughout the year. 

So instead of saying, I am going to run 1000 miles this year, you can focus on movement, or running. It doesn’t feel as overwhelming if you find yourself in June through the year and have only run 10 miles. It also prevents an anxious mind in January when you are trying to figure out how to work in all 1000 miles. If your word is “movement,” it can simply be your reminder to get off the couch. It can be a reminder to walk to the mailbox around the corner instead of driving. Or to park farther away from the store instead of searching for the closest parking spot. All of these little actions add up to more overall movement without putting you in a little box of “I have to go run”.

My word of the year for 2020 was “Simplify.” I intended to create systems and habits in my life before having a baby that would make motherhood just a little easier. I wanted to clean out the house and focus on a more minimalist approach to our belongings. While I don’t feel like I nailed it, throughout the year, the word encouraged me to think about different decisions that I would make. When I thought about how we were setting up the nursery, many thoughts came back to “what is going to be simplest for me to keep up with it.”

My Plan:

So, after a year of talking about health a LOT, I feel like it is appropriate to make 2021’s word of the year Health. This includes my financial, physical, mental, relationship, and  environment health. I am choosing to focus on goals that can be done throughout the year, instead of  things that have to be done every day. This year’s motto is “Progress, not perfection.”

Because I am splitting up health into 5 categories, I am splitting up the year too. I plan to focus on financial health all year with our No Spend Year. The rest of the categories will be split into the 4 quarters. While the goal is to be intentional with all of them all year around, I am aiming to hyper focus on one per quarter to really build those habits. The more little things I can improve throughout the year, the better I will excel with this word of the year.

• January-March: Environment
• April-June: Physical
• July-September: Mental
• October-December: Relationship

How I am focusing on HEALTH in 2021:

Financial Health 

GET OUT OF DEBT, again. 

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but after the year 2020, we need to get our financial health back together. With the pandemic, it meant both Brandon and I being laid off from the restaurant. I dug into working my businesses and he was relying on unemployment. Our house bills were taken care of, but baby bills came in and some things needed to be purchased. Some things went on a credit card and we just made due. I am not mad about it because we did the best that we could, but I am ready to focus on our goals again. 

My financial health goals include: 

• Be Debt Free
• Track our personal and business expenses using The Savvy Budget Workbook
• Have an emergency fund
• Cash flow whatever wedding we decide on
• Build a business that consistently brings in income
• No/Low Spend Year

Physical Health

Three and a half weeks before I found out I was pregnant with Carter, I ran a half marathon in 3 hours and 27 minutes. Not fast, but I finished. I spent 6 years in the army national guard. For years, my job relied on working out consistently. I did workout during my pregnancy, but I can’t say that I have kept it up since having a baby. 

I know, I know. 

Child Birth. Pandemic. Newborn. Work from home. Building businesses. Losing loved ones.

All of this has taken priority over moving my body and fueling it well. Some of it, is a legitimate reason to not work out. Other things do take priority. But it is time to start taking care of my body again. I am not setting a “weight loss” goal, because weight truly only defines your relationship to gravity.

My physical health goals include: 

• Feel good in a few of my pre-pregnancy clothes. Get rid of things that don’t make me feel good (and probably never did).
• Choose to eat vegetables and fruits more often.
• Be confident in eating things that aren’t necessarily the best for me, knowing that I make good choices often.
• Eat foods from ALL food groups/categories
• Move more often
• Find a “movement” that I actually enjoy.

Mental Health

Mental health has been so incredibly hard. Postpartum is REALLY FREAKING HARD. It is even harder during a pandemic. After gaining 30 pounds from pregnancy. Not liking my body. Not leaving my house. I feel like it is safe to say that 2020 was difficult for a lot of people’s mental health. 

My mental health goals include: 

• Journal more often
• Read something that fills my bucket regularly
• Only wear clothes that make me feel good.
• Unplug from social media more

Environment Health

My house has been a work in progress since we moved in. We bought it as a very livable house that just needed a lot of painting and updating. But it has kind of felt like living in the middle of a construction project for the last year and a half. There is always a revolving list of things that “it would be nice to do.” 

Ultimately, my biggest goal for the house is still to declutter (even after a year of simplify) and be more content with the house that we already have instead of focusing on always fixing things.

My environment health goals include:

• Find a system for picking up the house regularly.
• Learn to be content with having a lived in house.
• Actually use my robot vacuum
• Have a family functional basement

Relationship Health

Taking time for one on one with relationships that I value. I have experienced loss and ties with quite a few people and it is just a reminder to enjoy and take care of the relationships that you do have. Taking time to grow and nourish the ones you love the most. 

My relationship health goals:

• Date Brandon more
• See my parents regularly
• Get married
• Do something as a family often!
• Turn the TV off and play a game!

Tips for picking your own word of the year

1) Read

If you have been reading through December, look at the books that you have been reading or things that are on y0our list to read next. What are some common themes between all of them? What are words that stand out to you?

2) Pray about it. 

If you are a praying person, pray about it. Meditate on it. Words that keep coming up or things that you keep thinking about are often good ideas for your year.

3) Journal about your dream life

Take some time and really think about what your dream life would look like. If you never needed to work for another dollar, would you? If you got to do whatever you wanted every day, what would you do? These are some of the things that can play a role in making goals for the year.

4) List out all of the things you would like to improve on this year

What are some of your goals for the year? List out all of the areas of your life. What words stick out to you?

5) Find a word that summarizes those goals.

Make a list of all of the words that go with the first four steps. What is a word that fits all areas of those goals?

A few popular word ideas:

• Warrior
• Movement
• Brave
• Focus
• Intentional
• Motivation
• Resilient

 

What is your word of the year? Why?

 

 

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