A 2015 Resolution in One Word

It’s January 2 and I haven’t written about what my New Year’s Resolution is.  This should come as no surprise to those that know me…

Procrastinate less as a resolution?  That is so 1996.

Be more organized? I tried this before I had kids.  I did OK in some areas, not so good in others.  Now I’m just realistic.  I know which pile things are in…

Take more time for myself?  I tried this in 2007 after I had my first child.  It’s laughable now, although I do find a few moments here and there. Not in the bathroom, though.  To my kids and dog, that is mommy visitation time.

Lose weight?  1997-everydayofmylife.

Eat clean?  That was last year’s resolution.  I did good until I made trips to visit family or had a hectic week.  Then the drive-thrus and pizza pick-ups look way more appealing than hearing the kids whine about having to eat salad. Again.

We are all hard-wired to make resolutions at this time of year.  New year.  Fresh start.   Clean slate.

Personally, I am a goal-setter.  Planner.  Creator. Dreamer.  Ideas person.  I get paid to do it in my real-life job.  I am expected to do it at home with my children.

I actually love making a new year’s resolution each year.

There is so much hope in it.  So much promise.

Goals are good.  

Until about October, when I realize that the sun will soon be setting on yet another year.  Another goal missed.  Another promise (to myself) broken.

That’s why I decided to do things a bit differently this year.  I heard about this really neat idea of choosing one word and reflecting upon it throughout the year.  This isn’t a new concept. Google it.  It’s just a new approach for me.  And I really like it.

There are so many ways that this one word can permeate through my life.  At home.  At work.  Through this blog.

The next step was choosing my word.

Ever since Thanksgiving, I have pondered just how blessed our family is.  How blessed I am with a loving husband, wonderful children, good job, close friends, amazing family.  I also thought about how good it feels to be a blessing to others.  To do for others.  To bless.

But I also deal with dark thoughts.  Self doubt.  I battle with my own failures or when I feel as though I’ve let others down.  I have bad days.  I have days where I am just sad.  Days where I don’t feel as though I’ve been a blessing to anyone.

So I decided to live out the word BLESS for 2015.

Bless, for me, is a very complex word. The moment I hear it, I am out of the dumps and inwardly happy.  The word makes me smile on the inside.

I hadn’t told anyone about this.  It was, after all, my word.  My quiet, gentle, intensely personal word.

Then I received a Christmas gift in the mail from my mother.  I hadn’t talked to her about my little word.  But when I opened the gift, there it was.  A necklace with one word engraved on it.

Blessed.

One Word | Bless

Inside this necklace were charms.  A small collection of a few of my many blessings.  There were birthstones for my little family, charms representing a little boy and a little girl,  and charm of the state of Georgia.

Then there were tears.   My mother had reminded me just how blessed I really am – and unknowingly confirmed that this was indeed my word for 2015.

I know that this one word will mean many things to me throughout the year.

I’m looking forward to seeing where it will lead me.  What it will teach me.

I’ve decided to do a few things with this word so that I can look back on 2015 and remember how this word has changed me.  Changed my attitude.  Challenged me.

  • I’ve started a Blessings jar.  Each day, I am going to jot down one thing that happened during the day that either blessed me or an action that I did that may have blessed someone else.
  • I’m going to document this journey through photography.  I’ve created a folder on my Facebook Page to document my word through the year.  If you haven’t “liked” my page, come check it out.   I’ll also be posting these on Instagram.
  • I’m going to write about it. That shouldn’t come as a surprise – you know I love to write.  I may not always be public with my thoughts, but whether through journaling or blogging here – I hope to capture my day-to-day reflections on my one word.

10885272_10152627757853721_4782949926626012430_nDo you want to join me?  January 2nd isn’t too late to pick your word for the year.  You won’t be alone. I’ll be using a hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for my posts and updates related to this and you can, too.  I’ve been so inspired by what others are doing: #oneword.  If you decide to join me, let me know in the comments on this page.  I’d love to hear what your #oneword is!

Jennifer Collins

About Jennifer Collins

Jennifer is a mom with a day job and she likes to write about her victories and messes along the way. She is living an adventurous life as a Georgia transplant learning to thrive in Maine, with a strong Southern accent that screams that she is "from away" and a new-found love for lobster rolls and timely snow plows. Jennifer's writing has been featured on BlogHer, iVillage Australia, Daddy Doin' Work, and Mamapedia.