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Tuesday, January 26, 2021

2021 Word of the Year: Shift

 

Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

I like to choose One Word for the theme of my years -- if you aren't familiar with this concept, you can find more about it here. What I enjoy about this is that instead of specific resolutions to improve oneself, which will be forgotten shortly after January, the one word theme just helps to guide you through your year, in every area. 

Some years, like last year, a word pops into my head and I know it's right immediately. This year I have been really puzzling over it, and trying out various words that seemed almost right, but nothing clicked. Finally a few days ago a word just came to me, and immediately felt right. 

My word for 2021 is: 

SHIFT

Merriam Webster defines Shift as:

1 : a change in place, position, or direction.
2 : a change in emphasis or attitude a shift in priorities.

Although perhaps these later definitions may apply here too ;)

3  a: to go through a change
    b: to change one's clothes

And I'm also keeping in mind that this word means the very opposite of Shiftless, which is a lack of ambition or resourcefulness. I'm planning on building up both of those very things this year, and will remind myself of this word throughout 2021. 

Do you choose One Word for your year? Share it, if so! Or do you go for the more traditional resolutions route?


Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash


4 comments:

  1. That's a good one! I like to pick a word like Shift that has a lot of different interpretations. My favorite word was in 2017: Light. There were many meanings and concepts related to light that guided me through that year. I have not picked my word for this year yet but I'm thinking about something like Simplicity or Essential.

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    1. I hope you find the right word for you this year. I also like a word with a variety of senses, so that it can cover a lot of the things one might do over the year! This one just has the right resonance with me this year, so glad it finally came to me.

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  2. When I saw the headline of this post in my feed my first thought was of the dress. Shifts are one of my favorite styles. Maybe one of those will turn up in your year as well!

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