The first part of 2020 was spent enjoying the reality that we had a home. A stable roof over our heads, warm bedrooms, and a kitchen and bathrooms. We were all together under the same roof again after 5 months of being homeless. There was much to be grateful for during the early parts of 2020! Once I was settled into the reality of living with all three kids again, and being in a home with my other half for the first time in years it was time to focus on me.

I selected AIM to be my word of the year for 2020. I was going to aim at setting boundaries in my personal and professional life. I was going to aim at charging what my worth is. I was going to aim at advancing my blogging skills and perhaps flip some websites, too. I would aim to have more residual streams of income; after all, you must have 7 streams of income to be rich!

I succeeded with nearly everything I aimed to do in 2020 but there’s always more work to be done. This year I decided to keep my word of the year from 2020, for I have more to do with this word “aim”. I aim to say no without excuses. I aim to stop self-doubt in its tracks anytime it sneaks into my conscious thoughts. I aim to build my websites’ traffic and reduce my freelance writing work to live the life I’m destined to live.

Aiming to Live a More Intentional Lifestyle

I wrote recently about living in the moment with a grateful heart. This story is a must-read! It shows how I have worked to change my conscious thoughts to ensure I’m focused on the right things. It’s easy to get lost in your current life whenever happiness isn’t at the forefront. All too often I’ve allowed my conscious thoughts to drift into a negative space where I convince myself that content isn’t good enough. The problem with this is that content is a more realistic goal than having the constant emotion of extreme happiness.

I love the definition of content; peaceful happiness. This is exactly what I want. I didn’t like living the rollercoaster life I had a few years back. I like this content, peaceful life. I don’t worry about the next up or down. Things are flowing steadily & that works for the person I am.

The dictionary defines content as “in a state of peaceful happiness.”

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I do smile often and I do things to make happiness appear around me. I’ve learned to be happy with contentedness. My word of the year, AIM, has helped teach me more about thought patterns I have when life gets repetitive, or boring. I once thought that picking a word of the year was silliness, but I must admit, it’s been extremely helpful in keeping me focused.

My word of the year has helped me say no to people I would have otherwise said yes to. My word of the year has helped me reduce my client work so I’m only doing work that feels aligned with my business goals & personal vision. My word of the year has helped me be a good partner and a good mother who listens better. My word of the year has shifted me completely.

What has the word of the year done for me?

My word of the year has helped me stay focused. I have a Perler bead craft that says the word “aim” on it right at my desk. I see this word in my face every day while I’m working or taking my online classes. I see it while I’m homeschooling. I see it whenever my desk is used for something. It’s there in plain sight.

Having a visual aid to remind me of my word of the year has transformed my life. The word of the year has helped me:

• stay focused on remaining steadfast with setting boundaries.
• be a consistent support system for my family.
• set new habits and achieve new goals.
• adjust my business structure so I’m working less but making the same, sometimes more than before.

The word of the year has provided me with something to focus on to ensure I’m consistently meeting or exceeding my daily goals to achieve the long-term goals in the timeframe that’s been set. The word of the year gives me something to feel proud about. Each time I say no, or adjust my work schedule to go with what “feels right”, I smile with pride knowing that choosing this word of the year has helped me stay focused on what really matters in life and business.

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How Can You Use a Word of the Year?

You can use a word of the year to be more intentional in life. You can use this word to remain focused on your end-goals. I used to say that a word of the year was just as silly as making New Year’s resolutions but I’m feeling confident that a word can inspire you in so many ways. A resolution is something you may neglect and never achieve, but a word?! You can use this word to make it every single day!

The best way to choose your word of the year is to write down some of your short term goals. Think about what you want to work on this year for personal growth, business growth, and whatnot. Use this list to determine a word that resonates with you and meshes well with your short term goals of the year.

When I was thinking about my word of the year for 2020 I thought of a variety of words. I took those words and looked up synonyms until finally “aim” stuck. It just felt like it was the right word for my current chapter in 2020. It’s the same word I’m using for 2021 because I happen to not be finished using this word to achieve all I desire.

You can choose a word of the year at any point in your life. You don’t have to feel stuck waiting until December to work on your word for the upcoming New Year. Choose a word of the year right now!

There’s no day like today to get started with your mission to feel better and live better. I suggest you create a visual reminder that this is your word of the year, such as my Perler bead craft I made with the word AIM on it.

Having a visual reminder of this word of the year will keep your mind focused on that word and all that the word means for you. I am confident that you will achieve great things this year when you opt to define your day to day activities with one amazing word!