For the last few years, as the new year begins, I am enticed by online posts that talk about choosing a one-word theme for your entire year! Basically, you hone in to one word that’s your overarching theme for the entire year. It might be something like “Adventure,” “Finish,” “Travel,” “Simplify” or “Rest.”
Different people could have completely opposite themes, like “Bigger” or “Smaller.”
So, every year, for the past few years, I start thinking of my one-word as January comes. But then, soon, I get frustrated and want to give this up entirely. The thing is, my endlessly multiplying INFP self comes up with a veritable buffet of delicious words. But then, I don’t feel like choosing just one.
This year, the same thing happened. I started thinking of what I want my one-word to be. I could think of so many. I have been wanting to start dancing more again, so I thought of “Dance.” But then, that felt too narrow.
Then, I thought of “Push buttons” (two words but close enough.) This was something that seemed to capture two things I want to do this year: Say what I really think (and let any buttons that are pushed be pushed) and Experiment. But then, there are so many other things I want to do as well this year, such as travel. So, again, this felt like a narrowing.
Sometimes, I really don’t like making a choice. My INFP open-endedness has me keep falling down into and exploring almost endless rabbitholes.
But this year, there is one word that I zoomed into. It does not cover all that I want to do this year; rather, it’s a word that will affect and influence everything else.
My word for this year is Energy.
Last year, there were a lot of times when I didn’t take good care of myself. I felt exhausted, drained, and depleted. I did some hard things that took a lot of energy, but then I didn’t celebrate those achievements. And I didn’t encourage myself enough. As a result, I got discouraged many times.
So, this year, I want to focus on where I am getting my energy from and whether I am keeping my energy up. I also want to become more self-reliant and create my own good energy more — by doing visualizations, creating art, connecting with nature, dancing and a bunch of other similar things.
Energy feels like a pretty good word to choose. It’s like an engine word, a word that makes other things possible.
Some other good ones are “Receive” (a good one for highly sensitive people and empaths), “Relationships, “Boundaries,” “Thrive,” and “Create.“
What might your one-word theme of the year be? What word or idea is calling to you right now?
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