One Little Word 2024 | Evolve
My One Little Word for 2024 is ‘Evolve’. Evolve marks the 12th year of holding a guiding word of the year and joining Ali Edward’s ‘One Little Word’ community. Over the years I have felt the benefit of holding a word to help me live an intentional life. It now is a firm rhythm and ritual to create every year which feels deeply connected to how I want to approach the year. I feel this is a sustainable way to keep on track gently with my own hopes for the year, rather than the pressure of resolutions.
Exploring my word of the year ebbs and flows depending on the year and what I’m doing. My word of the year is there as a constant creating an anchored intention for the year.
Holding a word was something a little niche in the scrapbooking and crafting communities I’vebeen part of and now feels quite a mainstream way of approaching the time ahead. My past 11 years of words have been…
Grow (2013)
Embrace (2014)
Simplify (2015)
Awaken (2016)
Thrive (2017)
Nurture (2018)
Bloom (2019)
Light (2020)
Flow (2021)
Nourish (2022)
Root (2023)
and now this year
Evolve (2024)
When I look back over the list of words I’ve held and journeyed through each with I feel connected to certain moments in my life. Each year the word created its own meaning helping me navigate the year. I’ve held words which feel like adding a sense of momentum or a quickening, others have created a purposeful slowing. I tend to mostly now connect with my word whilst I’m journaling to check in with how I’m feeling and where the word has guided moments or has provided a sense of a prompt.
Discovering my word of the year
As usual this word landed early November last year. In one week the word came up twice in different contexts and I felt some resonance with it, a gut reaction and a feeling when I read the word, there was a need to explore what the word could bring this year and what it really meant for me. I think sometimes we have a sense unconsciously and consciously about what we may need for the time ahead.
I wasn’t too sure initially how I felt about the word, perhaps it feels a little out of my comfort zone and so there was some resistance to it initially. Sitting with the word I decided 2024 is the year to evolve and to step tentatively into how Evolve could support me for the year. With 2023 being a year of the Root and rooting I felt it was time to shift and evolve. I realised after some reflection how poignant this word will feel. It wasn’t about just growing it was about shifting me, my identity and how my life feels. It comes with some excitement but also uncertainty.
The word ‘Emerge’ was another word which felt similar to Evolve however it didn’t feel quite right for the year ahead. Perhaps it will be a supporting word for the year and part of being able to evolve.
How it feels to hold the word of the year
My career is completely changing this year as I’m studying a Professional Garden Design Diploma. I will be diving deep into the course and will be launching my intentional living business later in the year. It’s both an evolution in what I do, but also a homecoming to what I’ve wanted for many years.
Evolve feels like a gentle word, the shifts made are over an extended timeframe but things will fundamentally change. I want to allow myself to develop gently into an entrepreneur and business owner and this word feels like an anchor I need and will want to keep coming back to.
To keep myself connected to the word I create invitations of intentions I may want to connect to in the year to explore the word. It helps me think about those parts of me and also the parts of my life Evolve may provide a sense of support for. This year I feel Evolve could support me in these areas.
Evolve my business offering
Evolve my routines and rhythms
Evolve my mindset
Evolve my options
Evolve who I am and my identity
Evolve as a mum
I’m intrigued about this word and how it will help me shape the year. I have a sense of uncertainty associated with it but at the same time feel the word holds a supportive space to make changes in what I do and how my days, weeks and months feel.
Are you holding a word of the year? Do you inspired to hold one? Wishing you a wonderful year ahead.