Word of the Year 2022

It’s that time again.

It’s the end of the year and I am sure many people are currently debating what to “give up” in the new year, how they are going to be better, fitter, healthier etc… Well, I don’t make new years resolutions and I also don’t mind telling you that I don’t enjoy setting goals for my business either (shhhhh, don’t tell the business mentors out there!).

Instead, I prefer to choose a “word of the year” to set my focus and expectations for the year ahead. This is actually my fourth year of choosing a “word of the year” for which I’ve had varying amounts of success!

2019 - Courage
2020 - Breathe
2021 - Simplicity

It’s interesting to go back over the list as I can definitely see how they have impacted not just my business but also my day-to-day life.

Looking back over the past year, I was thankful that I had chosen “simplicity” as my word for 2021. I have certainly needed to lean into it a lot as things got increasingly busy and, at times, overwhelming. I often needed to remind myself to keep things simple, to prioritise the most important tasks and leave everything else to one side. It has allowed me to stay focussed and organised and has removed the stress (and perhaps even some guilt) that I may have felt for letting some things go.

It has made it easier to say “no” to things that would have caused extra stress or would have put added pressure on my time and energy. It has allowed me to reinforce boundaries which in turn has benefitted my work-life balance. It has also removed the pressure of creating content just because I felt I had to. As a consequence my social media channels have been severely neglected over the last 6 months. But, do you know what, they haven’t imploded! I am still in business and I am heading into what is looking to be another amazing year!

And so, after learning to lean into “Simplicity” what word could I choose for 2022?

I played around with the idea of choosing something like “Thrive”, “Growth” or “Flourish” but, to me, these are too narrow. I kind of feel that, if I choose the right word, myself and my business will thrive, grow and flourish as a result anyway! So, after taking a long hard look at the words I had shortlisted for 2022, I have decided that my word of the year will be:

Explore

I am in the amazing position of having the most weddings I have ever had going in to the start of a year. Of course that doesn’t mean that I am going to sit back and relax - if the last couple of years have taught me anything it’s that nothing is certain and everything can change overnight. Besides, I need to start filling my 2023 diary! But what it does give me is a buffer, a bit of a safety net so that I can actually take some time (and time really is the key) to look in-depth at various aspects of my business and tentatively start to explore where I want my business to be heading in the next few years. For example:

• can I be offering my clients a better customer journey?

• am I truly conveying my core brand values?

• am I being true to myself and my business or am I simply following the expected path?

In addition, I want to explore more about what it means to be a quiet, sensitive and introverted business owner. It’s something that I started to investigate towards the end of 2019 but I feel like I only really scratched the surface. At the time it seemed perhaps a little too indulgent with everything else happening in the world and then things just got far too hectic. I’m intrigued to delve into this and see what I can find.

Finally, I also just want to explore! I’m not talking about far-flung adventures (although a holiday abroad at some point might be nice!) - I want to explore some nice walks close to my office. I want to grab my camera and explore local beauty spots with fresh eyes.

Essentially, I want to approach all manner of questions with an open mind and, perhaps more importantly, I want give myself time (the one luxury that I am all too easily swayed to give up) to explore all of the many possibilities. I really am excited to see what journey my “word of the year” will lead me on.