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Thrive: Word of The Year 2017
Happy New Year!
It's the start of another year. A great time to re-align our goals - and dream away.
Yes, in reality, it's just another day. Nothing truly special or magical on New Year's Day. It's only special and magical if we assign that meaning to it. And, yes, I choose to do just that. In fact, I love what Sarah Ban Breathnach says about the first day of the new year:
"New Year's Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today, carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand. Only dreams give birth to change."
That's why I usually try to prepare myself for this time of the year. For as long as I can remember, I've been journaling my reflections of the year that has passed - and writing about my hopes and goals for the year to come.
It's how I ended up with the One Word practice and my annual highlights.
And yes, I have chosen my 10th Word of the Year!
Using the One Word Workbook, I am embracing my Word of the Year in 2017: THRIVE.
According to Dictionary.com, thrive means:
- to prosper; be fortunate or successful.
- to grow or develop vigorously; flourish.
It's a bold word in my book because whenever I choose a word, I often look at its opposite meaning. To me, this is important to think about because I believe that when we choose a word, we invite both its affirmative and negative energies to teach us something in our life that year.
That's why I never take the choosing of One Word for granted. It's powerful stuff. And, that's why I'm almost always a little bit scared whenever I choose a word.
In some ways, I see that as a good thing. To me, if I'm a little scared of the word, it means that it's meant to teach me something.
If you've used the One Word Workbook, you'd be familiar with some of these ideas and concepts. Including my annual habit of choosing a project to accompany my chosen Word of the Year.
My two favourite One Word projects are these two that I usually do at the beginning of the year:
- Creating a Word Art based on my Word. In the past, I have often done this in an analog way. This year, I opted to create a digital art version (see mock-up in the featured image). I created the initial idea for this late last year. And, I decided to make this available for others who might want a similar one to help them 'own' their Word. So yes, if you're keen, you can get a custom digital art print of your Word of the Year. If you purchased the workbook, you would've also received a discount coupon for this custom art.
- Finding an Inspirational Quote based on my Word. I would then either write this down somewhere - or create a piece using this quote. Here's one I created for Thrive:
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." - Maya Angelou
I have shared more projects in my mini ebook, One Word Projects (available with the workbook).
So, why Thrive?
Well, for one, it's a word that has stayed with me over the last few years. It seems to be waiting its turn to take centre stage in my life. So, when I started writing in the workbook, and journaling, the word kept re-appearing.
And, I realised that yes, I don't want to just survive in 2017. I want to thrive - in life and in my business. And to me, thriving means not just growth or success. It's about growing and succeeding, amidst challenges and tough times.
You see, the last 6 months or so for me have been very tough and challenging - both personally and professionally. In fact, in some areas, the challenges seemed to have been going on for much longer.
Some of the challenges can't be easily changed or removed. So, I am choosing to thrive, in spite of that fact.
That's why over the coming days, weeks, and months, I hope to learn what it means to really thrive. Perhaps, find out how I thrive. Some people thrive in adversity. Or chaos. Or external validation. I want to define my own key to thriving. And, I also look forward to understanding what it means to empower others to thrive.
This is the exciting part of choosing One Word. The part where I make it 'mine' by doing these projects, asking these questions, and maintaining an ongoing interest on how to embed the word in my life.
What about you? Have you chosen your One Word yet? What's your Word of the Year in 2017 - and how are you making it truly yours?
And yes - if you follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook, watch out for my first giveaway of the year. You'll get the chance to win your own copy of the One Word Workbook (with One Word Projects Mini Ebook) and/or a Custom Digital Art of your Word of the Year.
About the Author Shai Coggins
Shai has been managing and blogging here at ShaiCoggins.com for 17 years. Here, she writes about creativity, productivity, and how to recharge for a better, happier lifestyle. She is the author of Today: Life Journal, Colour Bliss: Kaleidoscopes, and a little known children's book. A serial entrepreneur, Shai also currently runs Vervely.com, a boutique digital media agency offering online content, community, and conversion marketing services. Her blogging experience and digital work have been featured in various media, including being listed in Fast Company's "Most Influential Women in Technology" list. Originally from Manila, Shai lived in Singapore and the USA before moving to Australia with her British husband. They have two children, a pet bunny, and a rambunctious rescue Labrador.