I woke up to a fabulous message from WordPress. Nine years ago today, I posted my first blog post!
I remember how nerve-wrecking putting myself out there was. I was convinced no-one would even read the post! Thank you to those that did, and to those who have followed me, supported me through their comments and likes and to those who have just read my posts. I am so grateful.
Cheers to the next 9 years at least and to the wondeful people I will continue to interact with and to the new people I have yet to meet on here. 🙂
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.
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 onionsMy 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 MoonSunrise over Ballito Path to the Beach in the south of DurbanWinter sunrise in JohannesburgA 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?
Grounded African 