Do you pick a word of the year? It may seem silly or pointless to some people but I find it helpful to have a focus for the year. So, here is my word of the year 2024.

When I choose these words, I reflect on the year we’re leaving behind and what kind of “vibe” I want to bring into the new year. This isn’t a negative thing. It’s not me looking back with regrets, but more of a recognition of the season that I am now in and wanting to embrace it.

Word of the Year 2024

Sometimes my hope for the new year is one of rest. It’s one where I want to take a bit of a step back, spend more time reflecting and observing. Other times, I’m ready to reach. It’s a year of growth and change.

My previous words of the year:

Taking a Look Back

Honestly, 2023 feels like a bit of a blur to me. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking back at it and thinking, whew, I’m glad that’s over. A lot of good things happened in 2023. My grandsons are becoming even sweeter (I didn’t think that was possible) every day. They have made so much growth and development and have the most adorable personalities. They make me smile and laugh every single day.

I have a granddaughter on the way too. For a while, it looked like she might make an appearance in 2023, but thankfully, she is now firmly a 2024 baby. Things are good with my job, I released my first books (a dream for a long time and more to come soon!), and I completed my certificate in Marian Studies.

Late 2022, quite a few renovations were completed on my house and it’s coming much closer to the home I want it to be. It was nice to start off 2023 with some of these new things in place. As part of that process, I decluttered quite a bit and people are right when they say that getting rid of things that no longer serve you can feel like a weight off your shoulders. I continued to do that shedding of old stuff throughout the year and it always gives me a sigh of relief as I move forward.

My Word for the Year

One thing, though, about 2023 is that I am coming to grips with some health issues that have been steadily worsening. I’m not going to lie. Although I am a very optimistic person and I can’t think of a single day that has gone by where I didn’t laugh or smile at least once (and it’s rare for it not to be many, many times), this isn’t always easy.

After looking back at 2023 and thinking ahead as to what I’d like my life to look like in the coming year, for 2024 I chose the word: SAVOR. No, I don’t plan on putting my head in the sand about my health, or pretending that I’m okay when I’m not. I also don’t plan to wallow in the negatives of it. What I want is to savor the moments I have where the good outweighs the bad.

Stay tuned to see what that looks like for me this year. If you have chosen a word of the year, share it with us in the comments. Happy New Year!