Have you considered a focus word for 2022? Maybe you are already a pro at choosing a focus word each year or maybe you’re just exploring the idea of a focus word. I have chosen a focus word for the last 5 or 6 years, admittedly, with varying success, but I forge on. While I am certainly not a pro, I do believe in its value!
In this post, I’ll share with you my personal experience with establishing a focus word of the year and hopefully it will encourage and inspire you to give it a try. It really can help the stage for a successful year.
Focus words of the past
Over the years, I’ve tried to establish a focus for my year. I recall one year I chose the word “Growth“. It was the new year after I started my blog and I wanted to keep it rolling. I set a goal to post every week and really set out to help fellow worriers travel more with less stress. I was at a place in my life when my kids were older and I wanted to explore something new and travel has always been a passion of mine.
Other years, I’ve chosen words such as Health, Energy, and even Finish.
“Finish” was an interesting one. I chose this word because I struggle with that pesky feeling of not being good enough. Can you relate? So and So is a much better blogger, this post is not going to be as good as theirs. I wanted to train my mind that “Done” was better than “Perfect” because none of us are “Perfect”. I needed to stop comparing myself to others and finish the tasks and goals that I set for myself. But, I must admit, this is an ongoing struggle.
Not only am I not competitive by nature, I truly believe that I’m not competing with anyone. If you are a fellow travel blogger, mom, wife…human, I am not here to compete with you! 🙂 I am here to hopefully help you and lift you up. Rising tides lift all ships, right? 🙂
So, I needed to finish that post! Finish that printable travel resource guide
Are you already wondering what my focus word was for 2020?
Oddly enough, my chosen word at the start of 2020 was Momentum. Ironic now, isn’t it? I had developed so much content to my site, added trips to my schedule, and was busy planning our first big family trip to Europe. I was pushing for momentum.
Then the world (and the travel industry) came to a grinding halt. While I was licking my personal wounds of a missed prom and graduation for our daughter, a canceled family “trip of a lifetime”, etc., It became clear to me that my focus word of the year wasn’t likely to pan out. Life in 2020 quickly became about family and keeping each other healthy.
I choose to find the blessing in that we were able to hold our family close and get through what we thought would be the most difficult year we had experienced. Sometimes a focus word comes to light later in the year. In hindsight, if I had to pick a focus word for my 2020 it would have been Grace. I think we were all just trying to do our best and we all needed a little grace in doing it. Grace for myself, for others and for our world.
Then 2021 came in like a bull in a china shop.
Storytime
Contrary to pop culture I did not establish the focus word “dumpster-fire” or the ever-popular “Pivot”. Instead, I didn’t pick a word at all. To be honest, I couldn’t even think about it, and “focus”, in general, proved quite difficult for me. It seemed like the world around me was in a constant battle and I just wasn’t up for the fight. My husband and I spent our spare moments contemplating a home remodel, getting pool estimates, and working on DIY projects. Anything to occupy our time while we stayed isolated. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned into…March.
On not quite a whim we decided to buy a travel trailer. It seemed like a great idea. We could still travel and explore while staying to ourselves. Believe it or not, there are some similarities between cruising and glamping. In both cases, you can see something new and unpack once! I was onboard. It felt good to be excited about something.
Shortly after taking delivery of our camper, we decided to put our family home of 13 years on the market. WHOA! We had toyed with the idea of wanting more space and privacy and now that our kids were both out of school it seemed like the right time. And, honestly, we tend to make big decisions in clusters.
Our home, the home where we had raised our children, hosted holidays and countless football games, went under contract in under 4 hours. While I was on board with selling the house, I was immediately devastated. All of the memories came flooding back and I was…well, I was sad.
Change is hard for me. Is it hard for you?
My husband, Brian, thrives in the midst of change. I remember he put his arms around me and cheerfully said,
“Don’t worry, it’s going to be an adventure”.
Within the same week, my good friend Jessalynn (and travel agent) sent me a text early one morning. It said, “Royal Caribbean is cruising out of Nassau in June (2021). It will be the first cruise back from North America and we are booked”. She didn’t pose it as a question. Within 24 hours we also had booked flights and a pre-cruise hotel.
The Royal Caribbean ship, sailing from Nassau, Bahamas, was The Adventure of the Seas.
I was SO excited to be cruising again but also pretty nervous. The last time I had traveled – been to an airport, been on a cruise, was December of 2019. Remember, I am a worrier!
Armed with my vaccination card, my passport, and my friend, we set out our an adventure. We had such a great time! It was SO good to be back. Everyone, passengers and crew alike, were overjoyed.
It felt like things were getting better.
During that time, Jessalynn (_nerdytraveler on Twitter) said to me, “You know friend, your word for this year really is “Adventure“. And it all started to make sense. Maybe it wasn’t the focus word at the start of my year but it certainly became the true theme.
When I returned home, I ordered a wheel cover we started affectionately referring to our Grand Design Imagine travel trailer as “Grand Adventure”.
Where did we land in 2021?
We ended our year quietly, sitting in the home that we found in October on a quiet 5 acres, 15 minutes outside of our hometown. Grand Adventure is now parked for the winter, outside by our little barn. It all worked out. I had times of great worry and great adventure in 2021 but through the ups and downs, I remained grateful and blessed for every moment of it.
So, What is my focus word for 2022?
Unlike last year, I woke up ready for the fresh start of the new year and with a focus word in mind. This year, Brian and I have chosen a word together. We have chosen-
Strength
This word really takes into account all that we want to focus on this year. We want to strengthen our aging bodies, we want to strengthen our relationships, and strengthen our minds by learning new things.
Despite the nightly news, I remain present and hopeful for the year 2022. It will be what each of us makes of it.
My hope is that we make it great by building bridges, not walls. By lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down. By showing grace to one another and opening our minds to different viewpoints so that we can all learn and grow. With that, I’ll jump off of my micro soapbox now and wish each and every one of you a successful 2022, full of good health, lots of laughs, and a little adventure.
I hope this post has inspired you in the new year and encourages you to give a establishing a focus word for your new year a try. Let me know how it goes!
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