My 2024 Word of the Year

Every year, I sit down and journal about what I want for the new year. Sometimes this online space feels a bit like an online journal and while I try really hard to keep boundaries in place, words are my favorite thing in the world. I love motivational quotes and poetry and obviously books. Words are truly the most magical thing we have in this world.

Words offer comfort, inspiration, laughter, community, and knowledge. Words are how we connect with people who are family and strangers alike. Words bring me peace.

My 2023 word of the year was “Build.” I wanted to focus on building on the progress I made in 2022 and continue to build the connections I have in order to achieve my goals. While 2023 wasn’t a milestone year in terms of “big” moments to happen, I did do a lot of building.

In 2023, I built boundaries. I built myself up, I did some scary things, I took chances, I traveled a lot and I realized that I am very happy and proud of the life I have. While I didn’t build my career in the outward ways I thought I would, I did build it inwardly. That may not make sense to you, but that’s why it’s my word of the year and not yours. Yours has to be something completely unique to you.

At the time of journaling about this and thinking about it, I’m feeling quite scared. I’m feeling unsure. I don’t know what 2024 is going to look like, but I do know what I want and how I want to feel. So I have a two part word of the year and a phrase that go together.

Fearless. It’s more than a Taylor Swift album but it’s how I’m feeling in this moment. I don’t think it’s possible to completely wipe away the feeling of being afraid, but I think we can walk with our fear and not let it completely debilitate our day to day lives. So, I want to find my fearlessness with my fears.

But I also want to be my most creative self and walk with Fearless Creativity. I’ve let a lot of things get in the way of my dreams due to fear but no more. At least, I’m going to remind myself not to let it stop me. I can be afraid, I can be anxious, but I will not be stagnant.

So, there were have it: Fearless, Fearless Creativity. That is what 2024 is going to be for me.

What about you? Do you have a 2024 word of the year?