Every year at Koko Centerville we decide on a yearly theme. 2023 was “New Year, Best Year.” Most of us begin the new year by promising ourselves a bunch of things that we are going to improve in the next 12 months. And, most of us, by February have given up on the reality of those promises ever manifesting themselves over the next 10 months.
I came across something so much better than setting resolutions that will just ultimately lead us to failure. This year at Koko Centerville we are making 2024 the “Year of the Word.” It’s so much easier to come up with a single word of intention to live by than it is to try to memorize a list of behaviors we hope to obtain. There are so many great words to choose from: compassion, impact, peace, courage, hope, shift, bold, leadership, kindness, listen, let go, judgement, and the list can go on.
Knowing myself as well as I do, my word just popped right out at me during my morning yoga session: WAIT. Wait is my word for 2024. In that yoga session I noticed I still want to come out of a pose when I feel discomfort. I don’t want to wait it out, even though I have learned how to be successful at doing that. When I am waiting for a message I constantly check my phone. I cannot just go and do something and wait for it. In doing house projects I want to immediately jump in and my husband has to slow me down. In my painting, I am very impatient with what is called “the first pass.” That is where you lay the paint where it’s supposed to go before beginning the detail work. I don’t like the way it looks and I want to move too quickly into the detail phase. In my exercise routine I don’t want to wait for the next weight training session and do the recovery in between (although I have gotten better over the years with this.) All too often my response to messages is “can’t wait.” Yup, I guess WAIT would be the word of 2024 for me.
This weekend, think of words that come to mind when contemplating your place in 2024. See if one rises to the top and fits you perfectly. Put the word on your computer screen at work or on the mirror at home and just look at it every day and I guarantee thoughts will come and actions will follow.
And so, as another year is about to go by, let’s just keep trying to put our best foot forward!
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