Start
Ugh. Today we’re taking down the Christmas decorations, which is probably my least favorite day of the entire year. I’ve mentioned before that I have trouble with endings, and Christmas is a big one. Yesterday when I was moaning about this transition, my son pointed out that you have to end one thing before you can start another. I’m trying to look at this de-Christmas-ing of the house as a start and not an ending… because, not coincidentally, my word for 2022 is “Start.” I know, it seems kind of obvious. It feels like I should have a more elevated, fancy word, like “Emerge” or “Achieve.” But when I was thinking about one-word themes, I kept coming back to “Start.” It’s a good word for January, but I think it will serve me well throughout the year. There are always things to start, and I like to remind myself of Mary Poppins’ line, “Well begun is halfway done.” Sometimes you just have to take that first step, or the first ornament off the tree, and then the task is on its way to completion. I also think about the famous Arthur Ashe quote, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” In order to start where you are, you have to take a good, long look at your situation. If you’re going to pilot an airplane to New York, you have to know where you’re starting from. If you’re starting from Cleveland but you think you’re starting from Chicago, you’ll never get to New York. So why is it so depressing to end Christmas? Why does regular life feel so blah? Should it feel this blah? Maybe I need to examine my work life, personal relationships, and leisure time activities to see where things are falling short. Then, of course, there’s running. I spent all of 2021 wishing I were running faster and farther. I pushed things as much as I could, in between flare-ups of my ongoing foot issue. Getting sick at the end of the year, and the enforced rest, was almost a relief. I started up again by walking, and then running a mile. I’m determined to take things slowly while my foot gets used to the new orthotics. I’ll get to where I want to be, as long as I start exactly where I am. So that’s my word for 2022! Throughout the year, if a task seems daunting, I’ll remind myself to take that one first step. And I’ll take some time to reflect on where I am, so I’ll know exactly where I’m starting from. I’m linking with Kim and Zenaida for their Tuesday Topics this week! How about you? Do you have a word for 2022?