Sunday, January 3, 2016

My one little word for 2016

I've had a word of the year since 2011. In 2015 my word was "nourish" - I still love that word.
I highly recommend Susannah Conway's FREE 5-day email class to help you figure out your word go HERE for her thoughts about a word for your year. You can still sign up. 
Here's a quote from her first email about choosing a word :
"I've always viewed New Year's resolutions as a recipe for future guilt. "Get fit" sounds like a sensible goal to have, but it doesn't feel very inspiring...Choosing the word ENERGISED or even STRONG, on the other hand, affects me in a different way. It encourages me to make better choices. It empowers rather than orders."
The idea is to choose a word (or let it choose you) that has the potential to make an impact on your life. You can also download a workbook from Susannah Conway (also FREE) which is called "Unravelling the year ahead" which I found really helpful with developing my ideas about my word for 2016. Go HERE for that. 
I'm not done with nourish and it will support my word for 2016. This year I am ready for something active - I want to end 2016 significantly different from the way I begin. I know it will require effort, but bring it on :-) Susannah Conway asks : "Which word creates a physical reaction in your body when you say it? Might be a tingle up your spine. A glow in your heart. Butterflies in your tummy. A long satisfying exhale."
My Word for 2016 is TRANSFORM
It's a powerful word. For me it means a significant change, growth, shifting, bloom, to renovate, revolutionize, create something new, overhaul, cultivate, develop, makeover, thrive, expand.
It also means metamorphosis. Butterflies have a lot of meaning for me - they appear often in my art - they symbolise beauty and hope, but their transformation reminds me that I will probably struggle and be challenged by this word.
To see my intentions for 2015 with Nourish go HERE I feel positive about rising to this challenge of Transform. My intentions for 2016 are to :
Transform physically - to nourish my family with foods our bodies love to give us energy to fuel active lives - to practice mindful eating - to significantly cut down on sugar - to step up my gym habit to reshape myself to be stronger and more energised and to transform my body to a healthier weight and BMI range.
Transform relationships - to be present with my family - to practice patience - to seek out ways to appreciate people the way they are - to ask important questions to make more meaningful connections and to use storytelling to transform relationships (watch Jen Lee's video at the bottom of this post - it really spoke to me and asking such questions has already impacted positively on a close friendship)
Transform creatively - transform an old art book into a colourful daily journal - transform bits of fabric into quilts - use Effy's idea of an Ultimate notebook to transform what I get out of online art classes - to transform my creative practice by lighting a candle and centering myself (deep breaths and choosing music) - to keep blogging so I can connect with others and help transform their idea of what art and creativity can add to their lives.
Transform my soul/spirit - to continue the journey I began in 2015 of being more mindful -  being open to meditations - talking to myself more kindly - transforming limiting beliefs into liberating belief. Life Book will help directly here - the theme for June's lessons is "Healing, Transformation & Magic : Transforming messages from the inner critic into positive ones", while in August we will focus on "Growth and Transformation : exploring methods and ways of thinking & being that encourage growth, blooming, flourishing and transforming into the truest, best version of yourself"
Transform our living spaces - we have home improvements that need attention (some major, some cosmetic) - I will be more active in taking steps to transform our rooms into places we can enjoy together.
This year, as a way of keeping my word more visible in my daily life, I have signed up for Ali Edwards' One Little Word 2016. Once a month there's a creative prompt to make your word visible.
My hope is for the same experience as a previous participant :: This was my 4th year choosing a word and my first year taking this course. The course helped keep me focused on my goals, my intent, the purpose of my word in my life and made my word more successful than I'd ever experienced before. It's helped me reflect, journal, and go deep within to experience personal growth at a time when I really needed it.
One of the first suggestions was to start a Pinterest board - which I've done HERE and as I work on the monthly prompts, that will go into my daily journal (see my previous post).

I choose to Transform : "to change (something) completely and usually in a good way". 
Altered ornament - last seen HERE.
What do you choose?

7 comments:

  1. Hi, a fellow kiwi doing OLW (how I found your blog).
    Transform is a great word mine is DO.
    I see you are doing lifebook, have you done it previously? do you think it is worth the $? (knowing how much the pound to our dollar is, that is a lot of fun supplies I could purchase for other projects :D). I am currently doing Journal52 and Documented Life Project 2016 so not sure I need to add another :) but my word is telling to DO.
    Good luck for 2016, I look forward to seeing more.

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  2. What uncanny timing it was that I came across your post. It seems that every where I go I am hearing people talking about giving up on resolutions. I also hear people choosing a word or making a yearly bucket list. This afternoon I was telling my daughter about the people I had heard talking about their words for the year. I described how I thought it was interesting, but I couldn't imagine what word I would pick ...unless it was the word intention. I was surprised. There was the word. Still, I think I'd like to try the process you have provided. I thank you greatly.

    Also, I have been away from my blog for a while so I haven't kept up with your postings, but I hope to start back up. You have inspired me to try my hand at Life Book this year.

    Hope your year has started off well.

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  3. thanks for the post lynette. I am in need of being more mindful -- to listen more, to live more in the moment, to learn to adjust and accommodate. I've become aware of how little habits are keeping me from what I want to enjoy artistically, so to me becoming more mindful can help. and frankly after all these years doing this word thing, one can begin running out of big words. may have to start repeating some, lol. I will check out those links and see if she guides me in same direction. cheers! xoxo

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  4. FIONA - when you break down how much Life Book costs per week it is an absolute steal and because this is my second year Tam offered a discount for me in 2016 - cost me in $NZ the same as my husband's cricket fees for one season! No question worth it for me :-)

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  5. I love being in touch with people from different parts of the world. I don't know anyone else who has a husband who plays cricket.

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  6. I love your blog post, it really resonates with me in that we all have the ability to transform our lives. I have recently tried to do this through art. I have started to paint myself and have sought inspiration through the buying of beautiful canvas prints from an online art company. Art can truly lift the soul.

    Hannah Sullivan @ Goarty

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  7. Hi Hannah - thanks so much for your comment. Art is definitely a way to transform how you feel about the world around you. Have a wonderful weekend :-)

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