Word up, 2025
Confession: I had an unusually hard time finding my word this year.
Typically, the word magically comes to me sometime in December and it's like an epiphany or a lightening strike. A word popped into my brain a few weeks ago, but it didn't feel quite right. It was somehow "off" or incomplete. So I had to peel back a few layers, reflect on 2024, and ask myself three important questions. If you're interested in finding a word for the year or feeling meh about your choice, maybe they'll help you too:
"What was hard for me last year?"
"What do I need this year?"
"What is holding me back from what I want to achieve this year?"
With that backdrop, I thought about my word of 2024 -- harmony -- and was honest about how, despite my best intentions, there were periods that lacked harmony. For example, deadlines for writing, editing, and publishing a book -- all for the first time -- threw things off kilter here or there.
In the fall, I tried to course correct. I found myself "decluttering" as a way to reset. It wasn't limited to my closet: I resigned from a non-profit Board I'd been on for nearly 10 years due, in part, to the time commitment; I said no to a speaking engagement that required a tight turnaround; and I decided to "let go" of keeping on top of social media. In a way, I was streamlining.
So, there it was: SIMPLICITY. I sat with that as my word of 2025 for a bit, but... it didn't sit right. It wasn't until I reread my own words about how to survive December that it hit me: I said that I would "giv[e] myself grace. It's really that simple."
<Lightning strike!>
There it was -- hidden in plain sight: the connection between simplicity and GRACE. There was my word! Streamlining and simplicity required me to be kind to myself. I couldn't declutter, streamline, or reprioritize until I gave myself the grace to do so. It was about allowing myself to have what I needed: no excuses, no guilt.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that GRACE is a common theme for JMT Speaks: I talk about giving yourself grace in nearly every keynote; I blog about it often; and heck, I encourage friends to give it to themselves, too. Want to embrace authenticity? Give yourself the grace to be vulnerable. A tip for quieting the imposter voice? Give yourself the grace you give others. Need to set boundaries? Give yourself the grace to say no so you can say yes to something else. Experiencing mom guilt? Be kind to yourself!
Not to mention, we give grace to others, too. We don't know what someone else has going on in their day, week, or life; we don't know why people make the choices they do (or don't) or say the things they do (or don't). But we can give them grace nonetheless. This is a lot easier when we are kind to ourselves -- and if we're having trouble with self-compassion, practicing it on others helps us too.
This year, my hope is that giving myself GRACE allows me to continue what I started in 2024, practice what I preach, and try new things with JMT Speaks (stay tuned!). After all, the alternative is doing nothing, playing it safe, or avoiding risks.
P.S. The cherry on top? Some things are meant to be! Imagine my utter delight when I learned that Little Words Project selected GRACE as its word of the year! My jaw literally dropped. If know me or have been with me for awhile, you may remember that I LOVE these bracelets, have quite the collection, and often gift them to family and friends. I love the power of wearing a special or inspirational word on my wrist. So you'd better bet that as soon as my GRACE bracelet arrives, you'll see me rocking it all year!
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