While I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, I do try to think of a word of the year or theme to work on. I find that having this broader option allows me to give myself some grace and create attainable goals that fit to outside circumstances. (See last year’s word of the year for a great example of this!)
Daydreaming About Consistency, My Word of the Year Click To TweetOne week into the new year and I’m already questioning myself about this choice, but it’s also been a reminder that choosing a word is better than setting concrete goals.
Daydreaming About Consistency, My 2021 Word of the Year | Washington, DC Blogger
This post contains affiliate and/or referral links. If you complete a purchase through this post, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of What Nicole Wore.
Featured | Daydreaming About Consistency, My 2021 Word of the Year:
Daydreaming About Consistency, My 2021 Word of the Year | What Is It?
As you may have gleaned from the title of the blog post, I’ve chosen consistency as my word of the year for 2021. There’s no getting around it, consistency can be hard. It’s something that I, many times, struggle with and why it’s a big focus for me this year. Consistency is defined as the “steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.”
Why I almost chickened out on my word of the year: Click To TweetRELATED: 2020 Word of the Year & What I’m Working On
As I mentioned at the beginning, it only took one week of this year for me to wonder if I should have chosen a different word. And perhaps it’s my stubbornness but I’m going to stick with it. This year I want to be consistent because I think in general this practice will help me grow.
Daydreaming About Consistency, My 2021 Word of the Year | What It’s Not
Okay here’s the personal admission; I had high hopes going into this year. In my mind, 2020 presented so many unprecedented circumstances that I felt like there had to be some balance coming. The first full week of 2021 definitely reminded me that we’re not owed anything, there’s no guarantees, and that it’s better to set general theme or focus for the year versus a concrete goal. Not completing a goal is crushing for me. So much so that I’m bad about celebrating positive progress forward if I miss the goal.
Why I prefer soft goals to SMART goals when it comes to planning more than a month! Click To TweetRELATED: When Everything Intersects…On 2020
Here’s a great example: this year I want to be more consistent with blogging and the other social media platforms that What Nicole Wore extends to. Late last year, I mapped out how I thought that would look in terms of the number of blog posts, static IG posts, and newsletters I hoped to churn out each week.
Last week? I didn’t hit that goal. My post wasn’t written on Monday and Wednesday morning I questioned the appropriateness of a new blog post. Ultimately, I feel good about my decision to pause content; I know lots of people talk about the importance of SMART goals. While these are helpful, I’ve found for myself that I don’t like having super specific long-term goals because well the future is unknown.
Daydreaming About Consistency, My 2021 Word of the Year | Where I’m Looking for More Consistency
Some areas where I hope to have more consistency:
- Budgeting – I started actively tracking all of my spending in November and want to continue doing this so that I can set a reasonable monthly budget for myself that includes putting money into my savings accounts regularly.
- Blogging – As I mentioned earlier, I’m hoping that this year I’ll be more consistent in my content creation and have a lot more fun with blogging.
- Dedicating time to self care and health – It’s never too late to prioritize self-care, but I think last year really emphasized for me how many of my self care habits actually involved spending money or leaving my house. I took up journaling in the second half of the year and really want to consistently do this going forward. On top of that, I want to keep making time to go on walks, drink water, and eat healthy lunches during the work week.
RELATED: New Season, New Goals? Revisiting My Resolutions
Daydreaming About Consistency, My 2021 Word of the Year | The Bad Habits I’m Trying to Break
And here are a couple habits I’d like to get less consistent about:
- Working from my bed – Not gonna lie, I start most weeks working from my desk, but by the end of the week I just pull my work laptop over to my bed. I know it’s a bad habit and one that I’d like to break.
- Saying I’ll clean “next weekend” – I was on a decluttering roll in the early fall but have been slacking the past couple months. Having a less cluttered and clean space makes me feel better so I want to get out of the habit of putting the task off. (Anyone else dislike making their bed everyday, but feel so much better when you do?)
Do you pick a word of the year? I’d love to hear what yours is in the comments if you do!
Daydreaming About Consistency, My 2021 Word of the Year | The Outfit
It’s sad to put all the sequins and fun holiday pieces away plus I realized I hadn’t styled this sequin top this year! Lately, I’ve been wearing more comfy clothes but it was fun to dress up even if it was just for photos. Might have to work on consistently finding one day a week to dress fancy instead of in my loungewear.
Annalise says
What a great word of the year!! I finally picked out what mine will be for 2021- hopefully it’ll go better than picking Wander for 2020- ha!
xoxo A
http://www.southernbelleintraining.com
Amanda says
I don’t have a set word of the year, but I would pick productive. I definitely have habits that I would like to be less consistent about. Consistency is especially important for blog posts! I recommend deciding how many times you want to post a week and set a day(s). For me, it’s Tuesdays and Fridays. I also map out my entire year of blog posts, but I do it digitally. It’s much easier to move content ideas around when they aren’t on paper. I don’t plan each and every blog day out because life happens that will inspire content at the time.
xoxo Amanda | theaestheticedge.com
Liz says
I love this word!! Mine is strength, but I’ve also liked growth (which requires consistency)!