Reflecting On My ‘Word of the Year’ for 2021…and a belated launch of 2022’s Word – March 8, 2022

Even though it’s already March (and usually choosing a ‘word of the year’ is a New Years kind of thing), I want to revisit the idea of setting an intention for the coming months. I like to do this by choosing one word that helps me stay focused, and in 2021, my word of the year was ‘health.’

In this blog post, I’m going to share a bit of my journey with the word ‘health’ over the past year in the hopes of encouraging self-reflection, celebration, and of course, self-compassion.

What Went Really Well

From January to July last year, I did really well in the areas of nutrition and exercise. I did lose weight, although in choosing the word ‘health’, weight loss wasn’t my focus. For me, it was about having enough energy to do the things that really matter and cultivating a strong sense of overall physical and mental health.

I made great strides in my bloodwork. My doctor and I were excited when numbers that had been in the red or yellow zones at the beginning of my journey moved into the green zones. I had more energy, I was sleeping better, my focus improved and I enjoyed life more because I was feeling really good.

I was able to be more intentional in other areas of my life as well because I approached them from an energetic place rather than feeling depleted. When we’re depleted, we lose the ability to make sound choices (it suddenly becomes much easier to say, “Sure, I’ll have the donut.” When we’re fully energized, we think, “Nope, that will make me feel like crap so I’ll go home and heat up the veggie soup I made.”)

The extra energy allowed me to whiz through the tremendous amount of work I had taken on during the Spring; I was efficient, I was thinking clearly, and I was really effective. I was a better parent and friend, and I felt great because I was taking care of myself.

By October, I felt more balanced than I have in a very long time, maybe ever. In coaching, we use a tool called the Wheel of Life. It looks like a pizza pie divided into eight parts. Each part is the domain of a different life area: career, significant other, friends, finances, etc. I remember having a conversation with my coach at the time and saying, “For once, it doesn’t feel like work has taken over. I feel really balanced.” I believe it was because I was making really good choices about which work I was taking on, which work I was declining, and how I was prioritizing the rest of my life.

What Didn’t Work so Well

Then, in late November, things became more challenging. The world was kind of opening up again (this was before Omicron), and I was excited to get back to in-person work. I said ‘yes’ to all the opportunities coming my way because it was really good work with really good clients who had hit the ‘pause’ button during lockdown and were now ready to get rolling again.

I was excited to work with them (especially in person), so I said yes to all of it… and then I crashed.

What Failed Epically

I suddenly became so busy, with so much on my plate, that it significantly impacted my health. My sleep, my nutrition, my exercise, the time I was spending with family and friends… everything suffered.

It all came to a head one Saturday in the middle of December. Even though I was exhausted and should have spent the time resting and making healthy food, or maybe going to a yoga class, instead I set up at Starbucks, determined to tie up some loose ends from my work week. I forced myself to do this even though my whole body was telling me to turn it off and take a break.

Unfortunately, I was so tired that I ended up making a huge mistake with a client. I emailed sensitive information to the wrong person. To make things worse, the “wrong person” knew my client and worked with them in the same office.  I had never done anything like this before.

I suddenly had a moment of clarity where I realized, “Holy shit, what did I just do!?” I got in the car and cried. I called my client and talked it through, and fortunately, we were able to remedy the situation quickly. In the end, my mistake opened up a conversation between these two people… just sooner than expected.

Task-Positive Network and Default Mode Network

There’s a neuroscience concept that explains we have two networks in our brain: one is the task-positive network, or TPN. This network deals with any task that is right in front of us. The present moment, the thing we’re specifically trying to do.

The second network is the default mode network, or DMN. It has nothing to do with the present, but rather it’s all about what happened in the past or what might happen in the future. It’s the place of daydreaming, the subconscious part of our brain that goes to work when we’re not talking about what’s right in front of us.

Imagine you sit down to write an article. You have everything ready to go, but when it’s time to write, your mind goes blank. That’s an overuse of your TPN. When you get up and do the dishes, you switch into your DMN, and that’s when your mind will relax. You may even be suddenly struck by an incredible idea that sends you back to the computer with enthusiasm.

When I sent that email to the wrong person, I was overusing my TPN. My brain literally wasn’t functioning the way it was supposed to.  And before that mistake happened, my brain was sending a strong “REBOOT” signal to my body that I completely ignored.  How often have you ignored that “reboot” signal?  What was the impact on your brain and your body? Your work or your relationships?

Choosing a Word for the Year

Not long after my unfortunate experience at Starbucks, the Marshall Fire ripped through my neighborhood and threw everything into chaos. My family and my home were safe, thank goodness, but the entire experience was traumatic for our whole community… myself and my son included.

It’s been just over 2 months since the fire as I write this. I had to sit for over a month before I could come up with my new word for 2022, and this year, I’ve chosen “wellbeing” as my word and intention. To me, “wellbeing” encompasses all aspects of my life: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial.  It’s also a strong core value of mine and one I’ve become acutely aware of when I’m not honoring it.

I’ll use this word as the lens through which I look at everything and consider all the choices I have, which means I’ll ask myself questions like:

• Does this choice serve my wellbeing?

  
  

• If I take on this work project, does it support multiple aspects of my wellbeing (one area, such as financial, is not enough to have me saying “yes”)?

  
  

• If I say no to something, how is that choice supporting my wellbeing?

  
  

• Does this choice raise my energy or drain my energy?

I’m giving myself plenty of grace and have made adjustments on my calendar so I don’t return to the place I found myself in December. With good reason, I’m incredibly conscious of that right now.

So, what was your word or intention for 2021? What went well for you, and what was just okay? What was an epic fail? What’s your new word or intention for 2022? What do you need in order to set yourself up for success with that?

Whatever word you choose, remember to use it as a touchpoint to remind you of the intention you’re setting for the year. And above all else, practice compassion for yourself — you are on a journey and there will always be wins and setbacks.  Learn from the setbacks and restart from where you’re at.