Essential: Update on My Word of the Year

I figured it was time for a Word of the Year check-in. And then I realized I couldn’t remember my Word of the Year. Oi. That tells you right off the bat I haven’t been thinking about it much, doesn’t it?

On the plus side, even though I haven’t been thinking of the word itself, the intention has been there. I’ve been working on getting better focus into my writing. I’ve identified a few key things I want to learn and improve on this year (like really short picture books that pack a punch). And I’ve tried to be even better about saying no to things. I can’t get through my essential to-do list every day, which includes lots of stuff on the business side of trying to earn a living through writing, as well as my heart-driven writing projects.

And for family, we’ve got one daughter getting married, another daughter traveling in Europe and Asia on social justice missions, and trying to sell our house and move. Honestly, those three are the essential things for me. My two writing goals (write my heart-driven books and earn a living from my writing) are essential. So much else has to go.

Even though I’ve still been blogging most days, that might change. When writer friends send me fun challenges, I usually don’t have time to take part. When I’m asked to volunteer for something, I almost always say no (Children’s Literature Assembly is my volunteer commitment the past several years). These are fun things, sometimes important things, but are they essential things? Not for me, not right now. So, I’ve been making hard choices and focusing on what’s essential. I hope to get even better at it in the next few months.

How are YOU doing on your word of the year?

12 Responses

  1. Laura,
    I didn’t choose a word for the year, but after filing my income tax, I think mine would be “submit.” It’s hard to make money if you don’t submit. 😉

  2. Cheers to you on those essentials! They’re good essentials.

    It must be going around: I was just revisiting my One Little Word or Word of the Year, which is “produce.” I’m doing so-so. I find myself falling back into old habits mostly by not saying “no” enough. But I’m up early this morning (earlier than usual), to pay that word a bit of attention.

    1. Thanks, Jen. Hopefully by putting our words back into the forefront of our mind, we’ll be inspired by them again:>)

  3. You are doing just fine. As a friend of mine says, “Do as you can, not as you can’t.” Keep it essential. My word is “create,” and I’m sure I have created some happiness, some annoyance, and some havoc! Looking around my office, I see that I have also created a mess. 🙂

    1. Hahaha–sounds like you’ve had a VERY creative year so far, Jane. Thanks for the encouragement:>)

  4. Not sure I ever chose a word for the year, but I surely picked a task for the year. The Mouse Project! Every one of the 366 days in 2016 I intend to draw, collage or otherwise create an image of a mouse. You can see what I’ve accomplished, so far, at Pi-SunyerNaturally.com, under “Projects”. Check out The Mouse Project to see the first 50 mice. But I’m still working on editing the book and finding an agent too! Thanks for your encouragement and good luck on all your ventures this year.

    1. I love your mouse project, npisunyer! What a fun idea. And you have some beautiful drawings there–I love all the artist-inspired ones. But I hope you don’t have a lot of mice in your house to use as models. 🙂

  5. Thanks for the reminder, Laura. My word is pursue, and I’m doing so so on remembering it, too. But there are some projects I’ve pursued these last few weeks that I feel good about. Onward!

    1. Excellent! Maybe we’ve just internalized our words and don’t have to think about the words themselves as much? Hehe–pry not, but worth a try!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,547 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be...Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be...art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be... bookscan be... poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnccbcCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter booksCharles Waterschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura's board booksLaura's booksLaura's poemsLaura's readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLine Leads the WayLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymagnipoemsmargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMatt Forrest EsenwineMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoneymoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)National Poetry Month 2024 (magnipoems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar's VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreview copiesreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be...Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be...wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat's InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZapZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Discover more from Laura Purdie Salas

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."