Step Aside, Action Jackson, We Got This

A photog friend recently shared her word for the New Year: Expansion. Isn’t that a fantastic word with which to lead a charge into 2011? After she said it, I could immediately see myself putting it into action. So many ways to expand, grow, broaden, diversify.

It got me thinking about what my one word would be for the year. Looking back to capture 2010′s word was its own exercise, and somewhat easier. You have 365 days to reflect upon and find the theme in all of it. But casting your ideas and vision ahead of you, thinking about how you want to direct things, how you want to shape the year? That takes more work.

So I did what I normally do when I’m curious about some part of this life we’re living—I listened.

I asked around. My short and highly unscientific survey turned up some great words: Explosion, Patience, Enough,  Focus, Peace, Change, Joy, Organization, Strength, Freedom, Kindness, Light. <—-This one is from Ali Edwards, the first person I’ve heard of who’s made this “one little word” a practice. In fact, she starts thinking about her word for the coming year when autumn hits.

Maybe that’s where I went wrong, I thought. Maybe I started this word search too late in the game. After all, we are in the second week of 2011.

Couldn’t find my word. I was getting really close to “borrowing” one from my survey results. I could make “expansion” or “kindness” work for me, right? But that didn’t feel legitimate.

Then I found myself in a familiar spot: early morning lying in bed, an internal battle raging over the best way to spend the 30 minutes of free/me time I had before Mama Blades had to spring into action.

Should I go running? Well, it is cold out there. And this bed is criminally comfortable.

Should I try to catch a few extra Zs since I was up unreasonable late?  But, it’s been a few days since you ran. Better get on it.

Back and forth I went. And the clock ticked on. Soon it was going to be a matter of how to best spend 8 minutes. I wished for someone, anyone, to knock on the door and hand me a slip of paper with the answer on it. Blades, do this: _________.

In the end I went with the cold-weather run, but it took me far too long to decide. To just do.

I mentioned this to my husband. How he didn’t roll his eyes at me, a complete mystery, since this equivocating is something that I’ve struggled with a lot lately. I think it’s prickly underside of ambition. There’s so much I want to accomplish, so many things to take care of as a busy WAHM, that I sometimes get stuck in the glue of trying to take it all on.

My husband, wise as always, simply said: “The more time you spend deciding, the less time you have to actually do.”

That’s when I found my word … Do.

And, man, does it feel like the perfect one.  It’s time to curb the mulling and pump up the action side of things. Time to trust myself; I’m a very reasonable dame with keen instincts. Time to bet on myself; I’ve got the goods. Time to do, and get it done.

So, little word with the big possibilities, let’s see what you’ve got.