My WOTY for 2021

Over the past few years I have chosen a WOTY (Word of the Year) #oneword365  and I try to stick with it as a theme, or a focus, for the year ahead.

My last year’s word was an action packed one – JUMP – and it was great to keep me on track. My final post summed it all up – Jumping out of 2020 – and I managed to weave the word jump into my monthly updates throughout the year. I also tried to capture a photo of me jumping in most months. It was a word with lots of meanings and started with me jumping in a puddle at the age of 59!

Now that I’m 60, I’ve chosen a word that will help me grow a little (hopefully) and improve my confidence. Although after posting What was the best decision you made in 2020? yesterday I’m feeling a bit of a fraud! Read on….

Why do I choose a WOTY?

Choosing a WOTY is different to setting a new year’s resolution and I don’t find it as restrictive or punishing. Resolutions, or starting over, seem too much like hard work to me (maybe I’m just getting lazy in my old age) and I find I just need to tweak a few things and keep my focus. Having a Word of The Year helps me do this.

This is a really fun way to set your intentions and theme for the New Year, or any other life event for that matter. Instead of a rigid New Year’s Resolution, a Word of the Year is your constant—yet gentle—reminder to focus on creating positive change.

Once again I thought long and hard and considered lots of other words, but in the end I settled on:

BOLD

as in…60 years old and feeling BOLD!

What does bold mean?

I’ve done some research (thanks Google) and have come up with these various meanings.

I also asked my youngest daughter for her thoughts and I agree with her description: Bold to me is someone who is able to step out of their comfort zone, take risks and try new things!

Bold is an adjective – a descriptive word

Someone who is bold is not shy or embarrassed in the company of other people.

• brave, fearless, adventurous, 
• valiant, brazen, courageous, confident, and ready to take risks
• showing or requiring courage
• standing out distinctly
• conspicuous
• imaginative in thought or expression
• not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; forward; impudent: as in, she apologised for being so bold as to speak to the Queen.

Why the word BOLD?

Well for a start it rhymes with old 🙂 and it seems to be a good word to aim to be as I am now in the position of having the greater part of my life behind me rather than in front of me – a scary thought!

So, there’s no time like the present!

My daughters know of my love of the saying ‘for fox sake’ (my go-to swearing phrase), and for my recent birthday I received these homemade fox biscuits with a few ’60’ and ‘Bold’ ones throughout!

What a beautiful, delicious and thoughtful gift 🙂

In some ways I know I’m already bold, I’m sort of brave and have been known to be imaginative, but I want to be more so, if that makes sense. I know I sometimes stand out , I love wearing bright colours and can appear confident, but I want to be stronger and braver. I’m not sure what the year ahead will bring (do any of us?) but I’m treating myself as a work in progress.

During 2020 I also reconnected with Helen Reddy’s song I am Woman and found the words very fitting for my year of being BOLD. Have you listened to it lately? If not do yourself a favour 🙂

When I was working in a men’s prison, as an educator in a managerial role, I was often required to be bolder and braver than I felt. But in that male dominated world, I was sometimes considered to be aggressive and even hysterical, or dramatic, whenever I tried to stand up for what I believed was right. It was very hard at times, but also rewarding working with such a dedicated staff of teachers, to improve the lives of others.

I was often frustrated, angry and ended up becoming exhausted by it all. I took on a persona that wasn’t really me in order to get by. In late 2016 I was made redundant after 22 years working in this challenging environment, and since then my life has changed a great deal. I’ve become softer and quieter in some ways, which isn’t a bad thing!

I generally don’t have to push too hard on issues these days but I want to be bold and strong when I have to be. I sometimes miss those days where I was required to push myself out of my comfort zone – so BOLD it will be!

Do you do something similar as having a WOTY?

I’m interested in knowing what you do or what word you would choose?

Previous Words

I always enjoy reading back over these previous posts to see what sparked my choices at the time. You can find my past words in these featured posts:

2020 – Jump

2019 – Time

2018 – Focus

2017 – New Horizons

So what’s next?

I’m going to review my WOTY each month in my monthly update posts – what I’ve managed to achieve, change or maybe new things to add to my list.

Bold won’t be as easy to do that with, as my word JUMP was in 2020, but I’m sure I’ll manage to come up with something! I’m going to be BOLD remember!

I’ll try to be aware of my WOTY and enact it at every opportunity. I’m hoping it will help me focus during the coming year.

This quote sums it very nicely:

Be bold enough to use your voice, brave enough to listen to your heart, and strong enough to live the life you’ve imagined.

Anonymous

What about you?

I’d love to have you join me, either by sharing your WOTY in a comment or by following along with me.

Happy New Year to you.

Deb xx

Linking up with Denyse for #lifethisweek and Women Living Well After 50 to share our #WOTY

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