One day in December I was cleaning out our pantry while
listening to Marie Forleo interview Tim Ferriss. Something Tim said struck me
as I stood in my kitchen, clutching cans of black beans and tuna:
“What would it look like if it was easy?”
I realized I’m not used to expecting things to come easily.
I’m used to expecting to work hard, to struggle, to sweat, to grind it out.
What is this concept “easy” of which you speak?!
Because even when “it” is easy, I find a way to make it
hard.
It’s my superpower.
I grasp, I cling, I obsess, I worry, I engage in
procrastination and perfectionism and many other unhelpful habits.
And you know what, I’m tired. I’m tired of struggling, of
swimming upstream, of overwhelming myself in “shoulds” and over-analyzing and
over-researching and over- everything.
I’m “over” it.
I realized, standing in my kitchen, listening to Tim and
Marie talk, that I want my life and work to flow. And just like that, my
2018 Word of the Year (WOTY) presented itself to me.
My words of the year have often appeared this way, without
my having to dig around in my subconscious. A word pops into my head or keeps
showing up in what I’m reading and seeing in a fashion impossible to ignore.
I’ll roll it around in my brain, noticing how it makes me feel. Is it a word
that can apply to multiple areas of my life? Is it a stretch, but not so far
outside my comfort zone that I’ll feel constantly intimidated by it? Does it
have layers of meaning? Do I get excited at the possibility of having it guide
me during the upcoming year? Flow fit the bill for 2018.
It’s always fun seeing the ways my WOTY pops up throughout
the year, whether it’s in art, music, or words. I’ve already stumbled on
several passages that connect to the concept of flow in my mind. Here’s one
paraphrased from the novel The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles:
“Life is like a dance partner, and if you relax and let
yourself go, you’ll find yourself waltzing.”
Doesn’t that sound lovely?
So in 2018, I plan to focus on putting aside things that
impede flow, such as fear and perfectionism. I’m going to take up habits and
practices that lead to flow, such as Morning Pages, and remembering to take a
few moments to plan out my day so that things will run more smoothly. I’m also
going to focus on not over-scheduling, because that leads to rushing, and rushing
is not flow.
Working with a Word of the Year is a gentle way to set a
tone, intention, or expectation for the coming year. It can be as simple or as
in depth as you like. In my experience, it can be a useful tool in advancing
your goals and enriching your life.
