Do More of What Brings You JOY

Is anyone else thinking about their word for 2018 yet? I’m sitting at Scout coffee this morning sipping a cappuccino (view above) thinking about you and wanted to have a little coffee talk and chat about our words for the year and share what’s going through my mind.

In 2016 I chose: LOVE

In 2017 I chose: RICH

For 2018 I’ve been thinking about choosing: JOY

And then I got to thinking…what in my life PRODUCES joy? I want to do more of THOSE things.

And here’s what I came up with…

• coffee dates with friends
• routine that allows me to consistently do what I love
• walks with friends
• getting dressed for the day
• exercising and feeling physically healthy
• doing my hair
• chunks of evening alone time
• going out with friends
• laughing (a lot)
• donating money
• cute things in my environment (ex: my pretty planner above)
• connecting with all of YOU
• coaching (luckily, because this is my job!)
• blogging early in the morning
• large cups of coffee in my PJ’s
• quiet time – Bible, devotional, candle, coffee, journaling
• downtime with Marco
• short trips (but not too many, because 2017 was PACKED)
• Church and especially the worship music
• playing music at home
• opening up the windows
• helping people or seeing people help people
• making a really wonderful meal at home
• having a great catch up phone call with a far-away good friend
• rearranging my office
• putting together a vision board
• making a plan
• organizing my week in a calendar
• cleaning my home and seeing the result (ahhhh I love this!) 
• a smile from a stranger or sharing a smile with someone

And the list goes on… and so, my word for 2018 may be joy, but it also might be ROUTINE, because I know routine produces joy. But then again, so does FLEXIBILITY. And those things can sometimes contradict each other…

So maybe we’ll just stick with joy and let the intention be to choose what would ultimately bring me joy through my moments.

Writing out this list gets me excited! I want to feel joyful (which I already do – it’s just fun to have this be an intention) and I know everything on this list produces joy. It feels very tangible and attainable and hopeful and exciting. Which is a pretty great recipe for being excited about goals, right?

What’s your word for the year? What are a few things that will PRODUCE that word in your life?

Here are a few questions to help YOU choose a word for the year:

• If you had to give 2017 a word, what would that be?
• What are you ready for more of? Fun? Focus? Organization? Flexibility?
• How do you want to feel, starting now? Joyful? Light? Accomplished? Present?
• How would you describe how you would LIKE TO feel in one word?
• Bonus: now make a list of the things that you could do that would PRODUCE that word (like my list above) 

When my mama was sick love (2016 word) was SO necessary (when is it not?).

When I lost my mom and I needed a deeply enriching year RICH (2017 word) was a beautiful word.

And now I’m ready for some lightness. So JOY (2018 word?) feels right.

Perhaps I’ll stick with JOY and throughout the year I’ll think about the things that produce joy and I’ll make those things a priority. I’ll plug those things into my calendar. I’ll allow those thing to be what I say “yes!” to.

Why do I choose a word for the year?

I heard about doing this back in 2016 when I chose my first word, love, for the year. At the end of the year, I was able to look back and say “yes, love was necessary.” In 2017 I chose my second word, rich, and now looking back I can say “dang, yes, that was a RICH year.” And so it’s really just a fun tradition.

What’s your word for the year? What are a few things that will PRODUCE that word in your life? I would love to hear in the comments. 

P.S. I am fully booked for 1:1 coaching in 2017. To book a Discovery Session for January 2018 (I have two spaces left), simply click here, enter your name & email, and I will send over a link to book this session in January 2018. Can’t wait to meet you!