Janine Langdon-Lee
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2020 Word

/ 2020 Word Of The Year, Body, Mind, Soul

hand balancing three stones with mind body spirit on them
This word feels right – to my body, mind and spirit!

Last year I didn’t even have the energy to entertain a word for 2019 – if I had it would have been “SLEEP”. This Year it took me nine days to come up with my word for 2020 and quite frankly I was surprised at what it was.

How did I come up with the word?

In the past, I had always known in December what my word for the following year would be, or in a few cases at least by New Year’s Eve. This year felt different though – while I thought it would be one particular word – it wasn’t until the 9th of January that this word made itself known.

The exciting thing is that my body had been dropping me a few clues in the days beforehand. However, it wasn’t until I was preparing dinner, and I had been reflecting on the last few days, and slowly a few things fell into place. In each situation, the word “Balance “ kept on popping into my head and then I realised this was a recurring theme of what had been going on over the last week.

woman holding hourglass between hands
Balance is something that I need to create in my life not find

Why Balance and what does it mean to me?

Why balance? When the word made itself known to me, it felt right. This word has so many layers and depth to it – which is why it is a good fit. The Collins Shorter Dictionary and Thesaurus defines Balance as;

  1. pair of scales 2. equilibrium……

When I think of Balance in my life I am drawn to the following;

 Balancing;

  • my masculine and feminine energies
  • between resting and being active
  • the soul and ego
  • work and play
  • holding on and letting go
  • decision making and indecisiveness

This word feels right – to my body, mind and spirit! And ironically I am working on improving my physical balance this year so how cool is this word!

Glute balls and balancing balls
My physical balance is something I plan to continue working on this year with my PT, Yoga and Pilates Instructor

How will  I incorporate Balance into my life?

I realise that Balance is something that I need to create in my life not find – it’s not hiding from me. While I will be making an effort to create more balance into all areas of my life, it’s not about perfection for me; It’s more of an awareness of how I can incorporate more of it into my daily living.

  • When I wake up, I plan to set an intention for the day around Balance.
  • When journaling my morning pages, I will have this as a prompt and see what develops in my writing and what comes up.
  • Creativity wise – I plan to create a vision board around the word Balance using images as a reminder of what balance looks and feels like for me during 2020 ( I will place this in my reading nook as a visual reminder).
  • I know that throughout the year, I will no doubt take images that represent “Balance”; I like the idea of printing them out and adding them to an art journal.
  • I am going to make a bracelet to wear – with “Balance” on it as a reminder.
  • I have highlighted to my coach that “Balance” is my word for 2020 and would like to incorporate this into my coaching this year.
  • My physical balance is something that has improved slowly from where it was two years ago; however, it is a work in progress and something I plan to continue working on this year with my PT, Yoga and Pilates Instructor.
  • I plan to check in to review my progress – monthly and quarterly and make adjustments as needed.

Do you have a word or theme for 2020? Let me know what word you chose and why you chose it in the comments below.

Filed Under: 2020 Word Of The Year, Body, Mind, Soul

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This year, I have three words &, I am focusing on savouring, slowing down, and simplifying. These words act as my North Star and remind me of what truly matters.

What's your word of the year for 2023?
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