Tag: #Canva

My Word for 2026

This morning I came across a post on LinkedIn by Daniel Pink. He was sharing a little wisdom about choosing a word for the year. You can watch it here. If you have been following me for a while (Thank you!) you know that this has become a regular practice for me. I highly recommend it and here is why.

Why Choosing a Word of the Year Can Be a Great Idea

I have had a word every year for four years. Each year, that word acts as my north star. It keeps me focused and intentional on the behaviour or skill I want to build. You can imagine the effect this practice has on you. By the end of the year, the word and the behaviour or skill become a part of you. I continue refining the behaviour or skill whenever I acquire new information or feedback.

Think of it like this:

  • Your vision is a themed Lego set
  • Your word-of-the-year is a numbered packet set in the themed set’s box. Every year, you open a new packet, build it and attach it to the prior year/s part.
  • Once you have completed the original set, you add complimentary pieces because you are always growing and evolving.

How do I choose my word of the year?

While I do have a personal vision, I don’t plan my word of the year. I build as I go. My first word of the year was “Intentional”. I completed a Mind Power course with Robin Banks. This course is based on John Kehoe’s book of the same name. It made me realise that I live my life like a blade of grass in the wind. I say I want to do someone or something, but my actions do not match my words. I spent hours reading books and watching YouTube videos, understanding what it means to be intentional. I picked up tools and tricks to remind myself to be intentional every day until I became unconsciously competent at it.

I have spent a year working on being more productive. One on reducing clutter in all areas of my life (I need to revisit that one. 😅) My word for this year is Wellness. It really helped me be intentional about improving my health all year long.

My Word of the Year

So what’s my word for this year? It’s “Act”. I have always been an accumulator of information/knowledge. Acting on this information has not been a strength. In 2026 I want to change that. I want to step out of my comfort zone, experiment more, and have fun doing it. I know it will be stressful for me and it will be exciting.

So…what’s your word for the year? Have you already adopted this practice? If yes, what are some of words you have chosen over the years? How did it go?

I’ll leave you with a great quote from Emma Chase in the image below. Ultimately, life is a journey. So, don’t forget to enjoy the ride.

Image: Canva

Thanks for popping by.

Don’t forget to be amazing!

Gratitude for Nature and Time Outdoors- Day 16 2025

Reflections

Four days away from work and I finally feel refreshed. What a blessing! The funny thing is that now my brain feels like it has all its tabs open. I have not been able to focus on anything. I feel like I am in overdrive. 🤷🏽‍♀️

This year, my garden surprised me twice. The Bearded Iris that my aunt gifted me about 5 -6 years ago finally flowered. I was delighted. Today, I looked out the window and discovered that the onion I planted about a month or two ago rewarded me with four onions. I had to throw one away because it looked like a monkey or another animal had bitten into it. My lilies flowered for the first time in two or three years. I had been so disappointed the last couple of summers when they did not flower. I love lilies.

My onions
My Bearded Iris

I got to experience sunrises and sunsets in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Ballito this year. I am always in awe of Mother Nature’s work. She never paints the same picture twice and each one is breathtakingly beautiful.

The Blood Moon
Sunrise over Ballito
Path to the Beach in the south of Durban
Winter sunrise in Johannesburg
A view of Durban central from a soccer training field in Durban

All Pictures taken by the author

Let me leave you with a quote as always:

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

– John Muir

Image: Canva

What are some the wonderful experiences you have had with nature this year?

Thanks for popping in. Bye for now!

Gratitude for Rest – Day 12 2025

Reflection

It’s not that often that I find myself absolutely exhausted but this year I experienced it far too often. Last night I was just too tired to even think of writing. This morning I woke up feeling a little unwell, still exhausted and my body felt like it had been hit by a train.

No doubt, it’s a sign that I need to rest more often, given how much more stressful work in particular has become. That’s exactly what I plan to do this weekend. Sleep, potter around the house and garden, read and watch a bit of TV. My body and mind need to unplug for a bit. I might consider a walk along the beach as well just to clear my head. An added bonus is that I have taken Monday off and Tuesday is a public holiday so it’s an extra long weekend for me. 💃🏽💃🏽

How do you unplug and unwind?

I’ll leave you with Anne Lamott’s words of wisdom on rest.

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.

— Anne Lamott

Image:Canva

That’s it for today. Bye for now 🌼