My 2012 Word

Choose

I have finally decided on a word--choose.

I considered simplify, savor, and slow down, but after much consideration and prayer, I have chosen choose.  Yesterday when Jimmy came home from work after working over 30 hours straight, he asked me if I had made any New Year's Resolutions.  I told him that I was doing just like I did last year--choosing one word to focus on all year long and applying that word to all areas of my life, instead of making a list of resolutions.  I still make a list of goals of course, but they are all related to my focus word.  Anyway, after I explained all of this to him, he asked me what my word was.  I replied that I had not completely settled on one word just yet, and I shared him what I had narrowed it down to.  He immediately said, "I know what your word should be!---spontaneous!"  This was welcomed by much laughter from the children.  As if spontaneous could be my focus word!  How would I set goals for the year focusing on a word like spontaneous?  If I focused on being spontaneous, then I would not even list goals or resolutions, right?  That would not be spontaneous!  

But his suggestion did get me to thinking.  I can be inflexible.  I do like routine.  I must have my days and weeks planned out in advance.  If Jimmy comes home from work announcing that he would like for the whole family to load up and go to Sam's or the mall for a dessert or something like that, I panic.  When will I do the dishes?  What about those items on my to-do list that still need to be crossed off?  To say that I am NOT spontaneous is an understatement.  Can I make a spur of the moment road trip?  Ha!  What do you think?  My natural response to anything that deviates from my plan is "no".  But then most of the time I will think it through and figure out how to make it work.  

I asked Jimmy to qualify his desire for my focus word to be spontaneous, and he responded that he would like for me to do (plan) one spontaneous thing each week.  He said if I never tried new things or new ways of doing things that I might miss out on something that I really liked.  So really more than being spontaneous all day, he wants me to try new things---and trying new things is spontaneous to me.  I do live my life in a rut of routine.  So, for 2012 I am going to choose to be spontaneous along with choosing all kinds of other things as well.

I have a whole other list of choices I want to make this year, but I will blog about that next time.  This list of things I want to choose includes my original goals for 2012--plus one more goal--be more spontaneous.