Photo by Steve Harvey on Unsplash
Posted on by Debbie

60 years old and feeling BOLD! Sharing my WOTY for 2021

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.
Photo by Steve Harvey on Unsplash
I am Bold – Photo by Steve Harvey on Unsplash

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 🙂

bold as a fox
bold as a fox

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!

bold quote
bold quote

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.

Welcome 2021
Welcome 2021

Deb xx

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

You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.

Everyone has a story to tell!

Debbie - mother of a 40 year old

Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. You can read more of Deb’s story here

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74 Replies to “60 years old and feeling BOLD! Sharing my WOTY for 2021”

  3. Ha! Bold is the perfect word for you, Deb. I love it! 60 years old and feeling bold. I wish I had thought of that when I turned 60! 😉
    Now is definitely the time for us to step out of our comfort zones. If not now, when?
    I look forward to reading about your boldness this year.

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  7. I love your word Deb! I can’t wait to see your posts on the word Bold. I mentioned you in my Word of The Year blog post – I hope you don’t mind. I enjoyed reading your Jump posts last year. My word is Resilience. I love your fox cookies – very cute.

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    1. Thanks for the mention in your post Christina, it was very generous of you to share! I love your word and wish you well with it. I’m hoping Bold is as as successful as Jump was last year, so we will see what the year brings!

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  8. Hi Deb – I love your #WOTY – it’s very “You” and I think you’ll find the right balance of being bold without being brash. I think a lot of us are at an age and stage where we want to step forward, rather than fading into the background – being the right amount of bold is the perfect way to embrace that. x And I pinned your Word x

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    1. Thanks Leanne, I’m glad it is very ‘me’ and yes I don’t want to be brash at all! Tell me if I’m going that way please! It is an age thing as you say, we decide to finally just be ourselves and I’m looking forward to embracing that now that I’m officially in my 60s. :0

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  10. Great choice of word. Forget that it rhymes with old. There’s nothing old about you. So what if half of your life is behind you…it has just prepared you for this second and best act.

    I like that you looked up various definitions for bold. I will copy that grand idea for my WOTY – to be revealed on Wednesday.

    I think you did so well with JUMP. You had to adapt it a bit, perhaps, from what you originally envisioned before we knew all that 2020 had in store. My word was believe and I just kept repeating to myself that I had to believe that everything would be okay in the end. We aren’t to the end of this crazy but I think the end or at least a reprieve is in sight.

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    1. That’s a lovely things yo say Leslie, I know I don’t feel 60! I like the thought that the best is yet to come.
      I did enjoy my word jump last year and feel I made the most of it given the circumstances. Believe was a good word and your positive attitude pulled you through!
      I look forward to reading your Word for 2021 post next week. xx

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  11. I loved following you on the “jump” journey and how you wove it into your posts. “Bold” is a wonderful word, Deb. It is actually bold for you to choose “Bold.” A good start.

    A huge smile on how bold rhymes with old. The fox biscuits are very clever and thoughtful. I love everything about this post and I look forward to where you will take 2021 – ‘boldly going where no man has gone before’ xx

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    1. I’m so pleased to have you on board with me as I get ‘bold’ this year Erica! You are such a positive and warm hearted friend. I’m going boldly where no man has gone before – you made me laugh! xx

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  12. Good word choice. I’m probably like you in that in many ways I’m already bold and willing to step up and out of my comfort zone and happy to keep doing so. It also rhymes with gold! I don’t choose a word but I do write a list of things I want to do or achieve which gives me a sense of direction. HNY

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    1. Thanks Chris, I did consider gold as a word based on the rhyming but discounted it early on! All the best with your list of things to do and I agree having a sense of direction is very useful as we move onwards.

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  13. I think BOLD is a great word to focus on for 2021. I have been doing the same thing for a few years. In 2020, my focus was on ‘peace’. For 2021, I have chosen ‘beauty’. I am excited for all of the beauty that I will take special note of this year.

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    1. Thank you so much for the comment on my WOTY AnneMarie. Beauty is a lovely word and there is so much beauty around us if only we take the time to look for it! Wishing you well for 2021.

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  14. I love your WOTY Deb and it is a great way to start your new decade. I saw the movie I AM WOMAN over the holidays and that song always resonates with me. I’m looking forward to being inspired to be BOLD with you and although BOLD rhymes with OLD you certainly aren’t OLD!!! Have a great 2021, my friend and also don’t forget to link up with Leanne and I for our one-off WOTY link up Monday 4th. xx

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    2. That’s great to hear Sue, I must look up that movie and watch it. I hope I can inspire myself to be bold during the year. Thanks for the linkup too 🙂

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  15. DUDE! I love your word of the year I just posted mine too. And I believe I got the idea from you and Susie Wild Rider 🙂 I love checking in on it once a month. I do that and find it helps stay connected. Best decision I made was to review it and then when you’re in December that word is just a part of you. And if you had The Pointer Sisters’ song to go with that even better! That’s always a goood go-to song 🙂 WOTY and your theme song they make for a better year … even in quarantine. Your new word sounds promising and strong looking forward to see what happens for you in the New Year. THANKS FOR POSTING and for the updates you have me jazzing it with enthusiasm:) Have a GREAT DAY!!!

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    2. Thanks! Your word(s) are fab too and checking in on them regularly is the way to go. Yep I had a fun playlist for my word Jump and it was hard to feel too low when those songs kept me bouncing along!

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  17. A great WOTY for you, Debbie. Good luck with it. I tried to remember if I’ve ever had a WOTY. I think I have, but I must have forgotten what it/they were because I can’t even remember if I did anything with them.
    I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. With a whole year ahead and every day a new beginning, I set myself targets and challenges as and when they come along the tracks. One came along today – to write every day. Why? Because when I write, the day feels a lot better, and I feel as if I have achieved something with it. Let’s see how I get on over the next 363 days.

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    1. Thanks for your great comment Hugh, I’m not exactly sure how I will be BOLD this year but I’m using it as a focus so it’s a start!
      I agree with you writing everyday makes the day feel better and that something has been achieved, all the best!!

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  21. Love the fox cookies and yep I also choose a word of the year rather than resolutions, last year my word was sisu, I loved the concept and it gave me something to aspire too, actually I have kind of made it my word of the decade. This year my word is curiosity but not sure if I will post on it. Love the idea of bold rhyming with old, what a great choice of word!

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  23. A perfect woty – BOLD! I love it. Can’t wait to see how you boldly maneuver through 2021! My word is sail, I explain in my next post coming out on Wednesday, but I love that sail can act as both a verb and a noun. Well Debbie, two 60 year olds, boldly sailing into the future. All the best to both of us, Happy New Year, C

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  24. Well done you! Great way to start the year. Love the word..BOLD! I used it for my first word of the year post cancer diagnosis…I will explain more later. Now following you via WordPress to get regular updates and I hope you will link up on Monday with this post and then you will know mine.,if you haven’t already seen on IG! Denyse x

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  25. Hi, Debbie –
    First off, your family members give the best gifts ever. Those bold / fox cookies are absolutely adorable (and very, very clever)!
    Secondly, I love your new WOTY. It suits you very well. And think of all the great quotes that go with it:
    • “Boldly go where no man has gone before” (mentioned above)
    • “The doors will be open to those bold enough to knock”
    • “Fortune favours the bold”
    • “Put on a bold face”
    • “As bold as Beauchamp”
    • “Bold as brass”
    • “Put a grain of boldness in everything that you do”
    • “Make bold choices and make mistakes. It’s all these things that add up to the person you become.”
    ….. The list is truly endless! 😀

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    1. Donna, I agree they DO give the best gifts and surprises! I am so fortunate. Thanks for the quotes I’ll make sure I save them for further down the track. I am looking forward to seeing how I manage the year being bold 🙂

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    1. Thanks very much Michelle, I love that Go Boldly quote and will definitely use it during the year I’m sure. Thanks for the link to my blog, it’s much appreciated. I’m off to read your word now 🙂

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