January 1st and, as tradition dictates, it’s time for my new “word of the year”.

Amazingly, I am now into my fifth year of choosing a “word of the year” - how on earth did that happen? My previous words of the year (including last years word) have been:

2019 - Courage
2020 - Breathe
2021 - Simplicity
2022 - Explore

At this time of year I find it interesting to look back over my list of chosen “words”. I have had varying success - sometimes they have a huge impact on both my business and day-to-day life yet in other years they have been little more than something I half remember every few months!

2022 - The year of Explore

As you can see from above, my word for 2022 was “Explore”.

I can’t quite work out whether it was a successful word to choose or not. I was full of excitement at the start of the year but my plans to set aside time every day to “explore” exciting business ideas were quickly abandoned. I simply felt too much pressure to explore wild and wonderful ideas but would, instead, often sit with a pen poised over a blank page with my mind just as blank!

It wasn’t what I had envisioned for my word of the year - I had wanted to fully immerse myself in it but felt as though I had failed before I had really even started! Of course, that wasn’t the end. Yes, my initial excitement and vision for in-depth business exploration didn’t unfold as I had anticipated but I was still eager to explore in other ways.

In a physical sense, I made a conscious decision to try and explore more places alone this year. The first opportunity I made for myself was when I booked a static caravan for a week on the south coast close to Durdle Door. It might not sound like a big deal but to book a caravan all to myself - a relatively large family caravan - and head off on holiday on my lonesome was quite a hurdle to jump. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my own company but I was worried that I would get lonely, constantly watching other couples and families and feel sad (and can I even say a little pathetic) about being all by myself. In reality, I loved it! It even felt empowering to be doing my own thing at my own pace. It gave me space to breathe, space to think and, as was the original aim, space to explore.

Because I loved it so much, I kept an eye out for as many other opportunities to spend a day or two away as possible. With wedding bookings in the diary that were a little further away than others, I grabbed the chance to have a night, and sometimes even two nights, away to relax, explore and have a little time to myself. As a consequence I found myself exploring Cirencester, Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and even Oxford for a slightly more prolonged trip.

Included in my plan to explore was to read more books and to also try out some new things that would help occupy me rather than constantly sitting in front of a screen/device. I started the year with a bang, flying through 5 books in January alone! My pace reduced dramatically as my days got busier but I found that I then craved doing something artistic (that wasn’t photography) to keep me occupied. For the first time in perhaps 20 years, I found myself wanting to pick up a paintbrush! I have never considered myself to be “arty” - I am too much of a perfectionist to feel that what I create is any good - but I purchased a small set of watercolours and allowed myself to be messy and imperfect. Surprisingly, I found that I really enjoyed the freedom to not be precise, in fact, there was a beauty in creating something quickly and messily with just a few strokes.

As the year unfolded I found that, when it came to business ideas, I was still exploring but not quite in the way I had envisioned. My exploring was done much more quietly. I did lots of thinking, had lots of discussions with friends - primarily with my co-mentor Emma - and actually did put some new ideas into practice. I started offering desk-based support to other wedding suppliers and also hosted an inaugural wedding supplier meet-up. I hope both of them will continue to build and grow in the months ahead.

So what have I learned from my word of the year? I have learned that exploring can be done in many different ways. I have learned that exploration sometimes means coming up against a dead end but that it is a beneficial path to take as it means that I know not to explore down that path again. I suppose it has made me a little more curious and more open-minded. I am excited to continue exploring - both in a physical sense and also when it comes to business ideas - but that I need to do so in an organic way rather than force things. I started the year by expecting my exploration to provide me with definitive answers but I have learned that it is the journey, not the destination, that is the most important and most enjoyable part of the exploration!

Word of the year 2023

And so, here we are at the start of 2023. I am sad to say goodbye to “explore” but it is time to choose a new word to help guide me during the year ahead.

The end of 2022 has been nothing if not challenging. Mentally and emotionally I’ve had a really tough few months. A family medical emergency followed by a death in the family sent me spinning for a few weeks causing all sorts of past hurt to resurface. And then the end of the year brought with it a broken TV (first world problems I know!) and a smashed window to deal with.

Trying to choose a word in this whirlwind of stress and heightened emotion has probably been one of the reasons I have chosen the word I have. I’ve spent the last few weeks exploring (hah, I suppose I brought that on myself!) lots of different options but this word keeps drawing me back.

I have decided that my word of the year 2023 will be:

Strength

Strength just seemed to encapsulate many of the things that I want to achieve this coming year.

I considered the words Confidence, Inspire, Elevate, Believe, Encouragement and many more but Strength seemed to cover them all. I want the strength of mind to be confident in my business choices, I want the strength to combat imposter syndrome and comparisonitis, I want the strength to support others, I want the strength to face any more challenges that come my way and, in a more literal way, I want to increase my strength and fitness which has been bottom of my priorities for far too long!

It is perhaps a more steadfast, sturdy word than a word that brings excitement but it just feels right - it’s the right word for this point in my journey and I hope that it will serve me well during the next 12 months. Onward we go…

Have you chosen a “word of the year”? I’d love to hear your choices!