2017’s Just One Word
We’ve only just finished the holidays and 2017 is at our doorstep. A new year can put so much pressure on us and our intentions for the near future. It marks the beginning of a new fresh clean slate but oddly, when we wake up on New Years Day the world doesn’t feel any different than it was the when we fell asleep the night before. We hope we’re not alone in saying this but while resolutions hold all the right intentions, their completion rarely ever sees the end of the year. That’s why this year we decided that we’d forego the traditional approach to the new year and its lost resolutions and instead embrace a one word theme we hope to seek out to frame our next 52 weeks.
To get your mind stirring, we’re sharing our one word focus with you. If you have chosen one for your year, we’d love if you shared your one word with us below in the comments below.
Taking from the old age ‘progress not perfection’ quote, I felt progressive was the perfect ‘one word’ resolution for my personal life and business in 2017. While no end goal will be achieved in the next year (is there really EVER any end?!) it will be a huge year for more progress in my work and life at home.
“Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.”
― G.K. Chesterton, The Innocence of Father Brown
A theme that seems to keep poking its head into my life these last few years is humility. I have heard it said that expectations are merely premeditated disappointments, and I find that to be so true. The further I have thought on that, however, the more I realize that the root of that disappointment is actually selfishness. It all boils down to our innate focus on self. Our culture emphasizes regarding ourselves as prizes, but I want to adopt a posture of honest humility. In this coming year 2017, my chief goal (both personal and professional) is to learn authentic humility. I hope to become aware of my selfishness and set it aside to be a Light in this world.
This year I want to connect. I want to connect with myself, my family, my new home and of course, my art. I initially wrote my goal as re-connect, but that made it seem like I was trying to get back to what once was, regaining something I had lost. While this past year I have felt less connected with my life, this goal of connection is not to return to a previous state, but rather to fully embrace my life now, as the person I am now, and being present in every aspect.
My words this year are joy, gratitude and presence. We just had a baby girl, and we also have three growing boys. I am learning on this journey as a mother and an artist how precious the moments are and how quickly they fly by. I am learning to embrace them with joy, be grateful for each one and become more and more committed to being present, relishing the time I am given with my family and having eyes and a heart wide awake to wonder and creativity. Photography is a way that I fill my heart with the perfectly imperfect moments with my family, and teaching is a way that I take my own creative journey and share it with others, showing my students how to push boundaries, make space for themselves and learn to share both visually and through the written word.
My one word for 2017 is search. As a photography and as woman I am constantly striving to be my best. Every day I try and be the best mom, the best wife, photographer, business woman, friend, sister, daughter, etc. It seems I fall short more often than not. Often I lose sight of the most important person to please, which is myself. I get lost in pleasing others and forgot to enjoy my own journey of self discovery. In my photography business I strive to make my clients happy and often feel unfulfilled with my work. In 2017 I will SEARCH. I will search to find my own happiness. I will search to do the things that bring me joy and peace. I will search to find my own style in my work. I will search to find new ways to learn and grow. I will search for hidden beauty. I will search to be the best that I can be.
As I think about the year ahead, there is one word that keeps coming back to me. This word continually has come up when I open my bible, when I listen to devotions, when I pray. I feel deeply like God is challenging me. Speaking to me.
This word is love.
“as I have loved you. love one another” John 13:34.
My goal for 2017, truly for every day, for every year, is simply to love. To love others deeply. To love those like me and to love those different from me. To love those it is easy to love and to love those who are difficult. To love those who bring joy and those who have brought hurt. And last to not forget to love myself as well.
New Year’s resolutions are ROUGH. There’s a reason only 8% of people say they succeed in their goals by year’s end. For me, the lack of success comes because I aim for too many goals that are often too extreme. This next year, I am going to simplify and focus on one word. That is…well…focus. I tend to flit from idea to idea, and although I am a great finisher, I have too much on my list and easily get overwhelmed. For 2017, I will make a priority list of things I hope to improve and I will FOCUS on #1 until it is completed, has been made a habit, or am well on my way to achieving it. Then, I will move to #2 and repeat.
“Breathe in, breathe out, and remember that moving forward is simply taking one step at a time.” – Unknown
We encourage you to take a break from the standard, simplify and embrace just one word that will enhance your next 365 days. On behalf of the entire Bloom Team, we wish you + yours a truly spectacular 2017 full of health, happiness and success. As we have with every year, we will be working hard at making this year even better than the one before!
May this be your best yet…
Jennifer Blake
My word for 2017 is “refresh”. I need change this year, and I hope that I can breathe some new life into my photography, my business and every day.