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What's Your Word for 2015?

Whilst skating about various social media sites, I’ve encountered more than one person discussing their ‘word of the year’: A word which encapsulates their goals for the upcoming twelve months. I liked this idea and so I boldly took the next step: choosing a word.

But which word to choose? First, I thought ‘Let’s dream big’ and I chose success. Then I thought, ‘But that could simply mean getting through the day without killing anyone (literally - remember, I write murder mystery games so there’s usually a hypothetical body on the floor somewhere). Or it could mean I successfully ate the last cookies in the jar. Or ‘Hurrah, you found a different recipe for dinner instead of the old tried and true six recipes you usually employ.’

 Digression: I have a bookshelf of cookbooks and am addicted to adding to my collection. I use three of them - and of those three, I use them for very specific dishes. For example, I would never consider looking for a brownie recipe (digression in the digression - oooooo…brownies…) in any other of my cookbooks than the one I’ve used for decades. Yes, of course there are brownie recipes in other books and yes, I’ve clipped them from magazines. Do I use them? No.

Sorry. I’ll refocus.

‘But,’ I thought, ‘success could also mean what you want it to mean...success at writing. And success on your terms (which I admit are fairly lofty - but that’s another blog post). What could be wrong with aiming for that? Nothing, of course. It’s good. Why, some might even say it’s admirable.

'So there,' I thought. 'There’s my word. Success.'

'No,' came a whisper. 'Your word needs to be completion. You have five projects on the go with none complete. There’s no success without finishing.'

The brutal truth. Success.

And that’s my word: completion. By this time next year I WILL have those five projects completed. Maybe even published.

But those cookies in the jar? Consider them completed. Totally.

What is your word for the next year?

Elspeth Futcher is an author and playwright. Her murder mystery games A Fatal Fairy Tale, Deadly Ever After and Curiouser and Curiouser are among the top-selling mystery games on the Internet. All thirteen of her murder mystery games and two audience-interactive plays are published by host-party.com. Her newest game, Once Upon a Murder, is now available and published by Red Herring Games. Her 'writing sheep' are a continuing feature in the European writers' magazine Elias. Connect with her on Twitter at @elspethwrites or on Facebook at Elspeth Futcher, Author.

Comments

  1. I can think of lots of words, but I guess we must edit for succinctness, yes? Mine would be wellness. Gotta get well before I can do anything.

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    1. Wellness is excellent and also covers a myriad of definitions. Be well, Diana - in every sense of the word!

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  2. Yep, that's mine too. I just hope I don't drop dead. Hahahah!

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  3. Digression also has been my word for quite some time now!

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    1. And why not? It's such a good word and covers so many activities.

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  4. I like the way you think, Elspeth! Hmmm...now I need to reflect on what my word will be. I guess Nobel Prize doesn't count 'cause that's two words ;-)

    Just kidding! This is a really worthwhile activity. Time to think...

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for popping by, Margot! I don't think you NEED a word - your output is amazing!

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  5. I have no word. I used all mine up already today. But I do have a cookie. In fact, I'm sharing some on my blog today. LOL

    Loved the post, Elspeth. You have such a neat sense of humor.

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  6. Cookies win every time. Make cookies in the shape of letters. Double win. Yes, that's how my brain works.

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  7. Hmm. Is non-procrastination a word? No? Okay, I'll go with productivity.

    I enjoyed this post.

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  8. Words of the Year: Get Over Yourself. Whether that means me or someone else. Because we are our own stumbling blocks.

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  9. debby turner harrisJanuary 8, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    My watchword for 2015 probably ought to be
    "patience", because the lack of it all too often makes me my own worst enemy.

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  10. I'm working on balance -- and not where I don't keep falling down at yoga (although that would be nice, too.)

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  11. My word is kinda like yours, Elspeth -- FINISH! I need to finish all the things I've started and left hanging....and there are lots of them.

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  12. Forward. It would have been upward and onward, but that's 3 words. "Forward" covers moving ahead with projects, so I'll stick with that one.

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