#OneWord2018

One year ago today I happened upon a trending hashtag on Twitter that, out of the blue, became a New Year revolution for me.  The hashtag, #oneword2017, promoted a philosophy that favors choosing a single word to guide one's life through the upcoming year rather than making New Year's resolutions.  While resolutions are often easily forgotten or cast aside, a single word can be held in memory, referred back to, applied when necessary.  I detailed the arrival at my 2017 word, "evolve", in this post: #OneWord2017.  It was a quick arrival - saw the hashtag, thought for less than an hour, wrote the post.  I've been contemplating this coming year's #oneword for weeks now, hoping to make a stronger, more effective choice than the one I rushed into for 2017.

I chose evolve because I found myself sinking into a rut of same old, same old.  Life had become a routine of the same experiences at the same annual times surrounded by the same people resulting in the same emotions.  I felt more like a tree than a human - watching life go on and go by while just standing in place unchanged.  One year later I reflect on my evolution from the same place I began the journey....surrounded by the same people.....on the same date......feeling many of the same emotions.  Hang on a second while a long, exasperated "sigh" escapes my lips..........ok, done.

Scientifically speaking (as a non-scientist), evolution is believed to be a very slow process with rare occasions of rapid change.  My 2017 quest to evolve seems to fit that description.  As I study myself I recognize some of the changes I made this past year were rapid - I broke free from television and invested more time in being active in various ways - and some were slow: I have found a much better balance between my work life and personal life, causing my work to suffer a bit but, in another evolutionary jump, not worrying a whole lot about that.  According to a very analytical and thoughtful friend (who writes an analytical and, you guessed it, thoughtful blog right here) I have smiled more (inconceivable!), become more open to alternative viewpoints, and have had some of my edges soften....which may or may not have been a shot at the evolution of my waistline.  In sum, with enough introspective thinking I can confidently say I am not the same human I was one year ago.  Yet, the journey seems barely begun......

....so in 2018 I will continue the process of developing this person I like to call "me" by following the guidance of a new #oneword:

E    X    P    L    O    R    E

Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 lakes and I fish the same six over and over and over.  Our state parks system is second to none with dozens of parks available to visit - I've been to none in the last year.  I work with dozens of people whom I've barely talked to these first four months of our current school year.  I have stories to tell and books to write.  I have career options.  Recreation choices.  Relationship possibilities.  Indeed, there is much I have yet to explore in this life, this world.

Evolution does not begin and become complete in the span of one year; more accurately, this past year was but (hopefully) a small first step on my evolutionary path.  As I've searched for a word that could guide me in the coming year I've done so with further growth in mind.  I knew my word choice would have to push my evolution forward by stretching my boundaries and challenging my comfort in the status quo.  "Explore" kind of jumped out at me.  It feels stretchy but safe......it will force me to take new paths but they will be paths I choose.  The thought of exploring most often brings to mind travel and places, physical exploration; I hope it will propel me forward intellectually, emotionally, and occupationally, too.  Exploring also seems more tangible than evolving; there were no "Hey, I just evolved!" moments this past year.  However, an exploration event will lend itself to blogging opportunities, a notation on the timeline of 2018, a nice photo....or maybe all three.

There were many stretches of 2017 when I either A) didn't feel like I was evolving, or B) didn't even remember "evolve" was my word of the year.  I have much higher hopes for the #oneword I've chosen for 2018.  As the final hours of this current year tick away I feel a much greater anticipation for 2018 than I do a sadness at the end of 2017.  A year ago I wasn't sure how I would evolve; the plans I already have for "exploring" during the next 365 days give me, at the very least, the starting point for a path that will surely evolve as I do.  I hope you will follow my journey here....and maybe even take a journey of your own.

Happy New Year.  Let's hope it's a good one.