My Word of the Year for 2022
Over the past few years I have chosen a WOTY (Word of the Year) and I try to stick with it as a theme, or a focus, for the year ahead.
Why do I choose a WOTY?
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.
Choosing a Word 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.
Once again I thought long and hard and considered lots of other words, but in the end I settled on:
GIFT
What does GIFT mean?
I’ve chosen a word that just ‘came’ to me when I woke up one morning. I’ve been tossing around a few words like Commit, Mighty, Bright, Colour – but felt they weren’t right for me at this time.
With GIFT, I’m thinking along the lines of giving something voluntarily without payment in return and giving of myself throughout the year.


I can be gift, give a gift, receive a gift, I am a gift, gift my time and energy, I have a special gift….the list goes on!
So what’s next?
I’m not exactly sure how it will unfold yet, but I’m happy to have chosen a word and have a focus to help me through the year. I already do a lot of volunteering with my local Rotary Club, with my involvement on the Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail committee and have time for more giving in whatever way takes my fancy! It’s a new year, and hopefully it will be a bit better than 2020 & 2021, in terms of world wide stress.

As in previous years I plan to review my WOTY each month, in my end of the month update posts – what I’ve managed to give, how I’ve been giving and what it means to me.
I’ll try to create a fun vibe with my photos and a Spotify playlist and have another great year of blogging!
I’m hoping it will help me focus during the coming year and help me to make good decisions, I think I say that every year 🙂
A great gift that should always be given and returned is a smile.
Paaj Miv
Previous Words
My word for 2021 was BOLD and each month I wrote a post using the letters B.O.L.D to spell out how I was bold during the month. It made me accountable and gave me a focus to live a bold-er life and it was great fun to work out how being bold was impacting on me and others!

Yes, others got involved, were inspired by my posts and told me how they too were trying to get some bold happening in their lives, whether it be a bolder attitude, wearing bolder colours or just enjoying seeing me embrace my inner ‘bold’. How cool is that??
My WOTY in 2020 was JUMP – and it was a great word, so much fun! My final post summed it all up – Jumping out of 2020. I managed to weave the word jump into my monthly updates throughout the year and 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 aged 59, while we were travelling in England.


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:
2021 – Bold
2020 – Jump
2019 – Time
2018 – Focus
2017 – New Horizons
What about you?
Do you do something similar each year? I’m interested in knowing what you do or what word you would choose?
I’d also 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 all!

Deb xx
Linking up with Denyse for #lifethisweek
Latest Posts:
- The Thong Pole in Tathra #WordlessWednesday
- I’d rather be… #SundayStills
- That empty feeling when you finish a series #WOYBS
- Tell Us About…Scent
- You’re amazing just the way you are
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! 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. She never imagined being Granny Debs would bring so much joy to her life! You can read more of Deb’s story here
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Great choice! I’ve never chosen a word…I just live vicariously through all the inspiration that abounds!
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That’s a great way to be Carol 🙂
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I love your WOTY, Deb and you are a GIFT to everyone who knows you. It is lovely to have a focus on giving for your WOTY and I look forward to seeing how your year unfolds. I like to think I’m a ‘giver’ and there is so much personal reward in giving to others without any expectation of anything in return. I get so excited when I give a GIFT to someone (see I used your woty). It is the anticipation of making someone feel loved and happy. Giving to the community is something you already do and I’m sure everyone appreciates all you do. Thank you for your GIFT of friendship which I treasure. #lifethisweek
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Oh thank you so much Sue, what a lovely comment! You are a giver and inspire me all the time. xx
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Gift is a beautiful word for the year Deb! I love it and the intention behind it! I don’t choose a word each year anymore but I do have a general intention each year. This year is about acceptance, faith and belief in the strength within myself, along with the continual intention of being the best me I can. Happy New Year to you. I hope it’s a great one for you! xo
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Thanks Min, I am very happy to have a word that I can use as a focus this year. It will be like a self fulfilling prophecy where I will see gifts everywhere I look all year. I like you intention and think it speaks volumes about where you’re at and what life is like at the moment. You are strong! Take care. xx
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That is a great word and can be manifested in many different ways. I am looking forward to your updates throughout the year!
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Yes I like the way it can be manifested Janis, and I think it will work this year.
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Awesome choice! Indeed, like Sue says, you are a true gift to the people who know you. I love your intention of volunteering more, but you’re not putting it into some kind of resolution or the like. I’m pretty sure that if you don’t end up volunteering as much as you’d like this year, you’ll still manage to be a gift to those around you. #LifeThisWeek
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Thanks Astrid, such a lovely comment that made me smile!
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Happy New Year Deb. I love your word and am really looking forward to the creative ways it show up for you. Best wishes for another fabulous blogging year
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Thanks Jen, gift has lots of meanings so I’m sure to make it through the year without too much trouble 🙂 Looking forward to another great blogging year!
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I keep thinking of the ‘I’m gonna lie underneath the Christmas Tree to remind my family I am a gift,’ meme.
I love that it can mean so many things!
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Yes that’s why my photo all wrapped up under the tree from a few years ago made it into my post :). Gift will be a different word but I’m keen to make it work, sort of like gratitude.
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What a great idea. I would maybe choose strength as my word. For me, constant chemo for cancer has become not only a physical but mental challenge, I am so sick of it but also grateful. Strength is something I need every day.
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Oh I feel for you with the chemo treatment! My brother-in-law is also going through it and it’s definitely not pleasant! Sending the gift of strength to you xx
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Hi, Deb –
I was greatly looking forward to this reveal – and it did not disappoint one little bit. I left a little ‘gift’ for you on messenger. ‘Tis the season! 😀
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Thanks Donna, I’m glad I didn’t disappoint after all that waiting for the reveal! Love your little gift and am proudly showing it on my sidebar 🙂
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Hi Deb – I really love this word – it’s positive and “others” focused. I think one of the biggest joys of gifts is that they bless others while blessing the giver. I’ll be really interested to see where you take this one – I think it will be a fabulous way to tackle 2022 🙂
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Thanks Leanne! I like that this word is ‘others’ focussed as you say and yet it can still relate to my lifestyle too. Love your WOTY too – just fabulous 🙂
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Looking forward to sharing in your Gifts this year! Hope it’s been a good steady beginning, with lots of hugs & family time!
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Yes lots of fun ending the year and a quiet start to the year so far with lots of blogging housekeeping getting done. Time is a gift!
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Great word for 2022!
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Thanks for endorsement, hope it goes well!
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I can’t wait to see what you do with this one. It promises to be every bit as colourful as last years word.
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Yep, you know me Jo – a bit of colour, a dash of sunshine and a smile and I’m a gift to all 🙂
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You certainly are – in so many ways.
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An excellent word, Deb – it will be interesting to see what you make of it through the year. Toni x
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Thanks Toni, I’m looking forward to seeing how it play out too!
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What an interesting choice – it will be fun to see how you interpret it as the year unfolds!
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Yes I’m hoping it will be interesting Deb 🙂 but I have some ideas already!
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Interesting choice, and I’ll definitely be following along to see how the word influences your year 🙂 I’ve never chosen a WOTY – I feel years are too unpredictable to identify one that would work for the whole year! I have a sort-of resolution however. I’m attempting the 365 photo challenge, taking at least one photo each day and using Blipfoto to journal my year. I’ll probably do some summery posts on my blog so watch this space!
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Thanks Sarah, I agree the years especially lately have been very unpredictable but in a way that helps me focus on my WOTY. Good luck with your 365 photo project, I’ve not heard of Blipfoto before!
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I hadn’t heard of it but saw it mentioned on another blog and checked it out. I’ve always sworn I wouldn’t attempt the 365 but when I started to investigate Blipfoto it somehow changed my mind 😆
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What a fun choice, Deb! I definitely consider your blog to be a gift and am looking forward to seeing how you incorporate your Word of the Year. I haven’t always chosen a word, but this year I decided to. I will reveal it in tomorrow’s post…along with some tips for choosing a word, in case there are those who would like to choose a word, but don’t know where to start. Here’s to 2022 and all its gifts!
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Hi Christie, that’s a lovely thing to say, as i like to think of my blog as a gift but wasn’t sure i should say that in my post! Looking forward to reading your post 🙂
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Hi Deb! Yes Gift is a great word with all sorts of associations. I love how each WOTY carries such personal meaning and ways to use them with intention. As you know and I revealed on my blog, my word for 2022 is “surrender”. I am sure both of our words will guide us as 2022 unfolds. ~Kathy
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Thanks Kathy, your words are great for the year ahead and I love how you announced them together too! I like how I make my WOTY set the focus for me.
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I am very much looking forward to see how this one unfolds! Bold was great, as was Jump. You are so creative in your word choice!
I’ve not chosen a WOTY – nothing really called to me. I’m going to focus on my lifestyle vision statement this year as we live our first full year in our new home.
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Thanks Pat, it is often something that prompts me in a certain direction and without thinking too much I just run with it! Hoping it works out well but I’m sure I’ll enjoy it no matter what.
Enjoy your lifestyle intention, that’s a great focus for you for the year ahead.
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I LOVE your Word of the Year! Excellent!
Mine for this year is – bloom. (Last year’s was energy)
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Oh Trisha, Bloom is a lovely word for the year ahead. All the best to you for 2022.
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Excellent WOTY, Debbie. May 2022 bring you many joyful and meaningful Gifts. Happy New Year!
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Thanks very much Natalie, there are gifts everywhere we just have to see them. Happy New Year to you too 🙂
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What a fun word of the year; this will be so neat to see how it plays out each month. I love that it has so many connotations.
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Yes Joanne, I’m looking forward to all the various ways of using it during the year too. Thanks and all the best for 2022 🙂
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Deb, I absolutely love your approach to the WOTY, and you’ve inspired me so much during the past year! So much that now I’ve also chosen a word for the year, which is calm. To create calm, be calm, work on staying calm… learn to handle stress and bad news, and much more. I may not update every month like you have done, but I think it’s helpful to have a focus during the year!
Gift is a wonderful word and very flexible as you describe it!
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Thanks very much \Susanne, I do tend to have fun when choosing my WOTY and think about how I can make it last all all year. I’m so please to have inspired you in some small way during the year, that makes me smile knowing that 🙂 I love the word ‘calm’, and it will provide a focus for you during 2022 I’m sure. All the best and love our connections we make in this blogging world.
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If your new blog header is anything to go by, you are already gifting us with brightness and cheer. Well-done on such an appropriate word that words for the giver and the receiver. Looking forward to seeing where gift takes you…I love its simplicity and its gentle presence (ha, sorry did not even mean that to sound like presents!)
Thank you for linking up for the first Life This Week in 2022 at Denyse Whelan Blogs.
Thank you too for sharing your post with our community and commenting on mine.
See you next week for 2/51 Life This Week,
Warm wishes
Denyse
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Thanks Denyse, I have had a few days of blog housekeeping and updated headers, banners for regular posts and a general tidy up, which was great fun. I am really pleased with my WOTY and have had a great response to it too. I was worried as Bold was so good last year and how would I top that?? I liked the presence/presents pun 🙂
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First, I love the smiley picture of you. You look like you are about 12. Secondly, I love the idea of gift. It is so unselfish. I hope it will include a gift of a story to Story Chat. I have one month left with no author signed up – September, and I’d love to feature another of your stories. 🙂 I wish you the best year of your life ever. Happy 2022.
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Oh many thanks Marsha, I love the fact I look about 12 🙂 I’ll think about filling your gap as a gift to you and will get back to you on it. All the best for 2022.
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Awesome, kid! 🙂
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Oh how I wish a word would knock me in the head one morning!! I have toyed with a full list of words but none of them fits just right. Going to work on that today. Maybe one will fall from the sky onto my lap.
You above all the bloggers I love and follow do so much with your WOTY. I pick one and promptly forget it. You live it and feel it. You taste it, share it. Put it on and take it off. I love that about you. You are a gift.
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Thanks lovely Leslie 🙂 I hope your word has dropped from the sky for you by now but if not keep thinking and looking. I do enjoy my Word each year and really try to live it, and I’m so happy you appreciate that! I’m smiling with joy at your lovely comment about me being a gift – as are you xx
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