What are your words for 2011?

In a workshop in January someone presented the concept of “11 words for 2011”. I thought this an excellent way to kick off the next twelve months – a list I can refer back to through the year and check that I’m still heading in the right direction.

Of course the first words were trivial – Fun, Family, Success. Too easy in … too easy out.

So I thought a bit harder. This year is really a year that people who are important to me are growing and need my support. So I decided to change my outlook – which is usually on the mindless hamster-wheel of trying to get ahead and improve myself – and have an ‘inlook’ year instead.

So far so good – but for an A-type like me it is not easy. Which is why I think these are the right words. I keep having to revisit them and remind myself what path I set out on.

So … here are my “11 words for 2011” – in no particular order, just as they came to me:

1)      CALM (as in trying to retain the sense of calm I had acquired over the December holidays … which threatened to disintegrate within 36 hours of being back in the office and dealing with irritating, stupid, dumb-ass … whoops … deep breath in, Zen centring, back to CALM!)

2)      PEACEFUL (as per above … but with an added relaxed smile that makes your colleagues think you’ve been smoking dubie in the loo – includes more physical manifestations, but requires inner CALM first.)

3)      THOUGHTFUL (although I am a person of very many thoughts – often too many thoughts, especially at night when my long-suffering husband is attempting to fall asleep – I don’t think that I really spend enough time being thoughtful. Note to self – think more about being THOUGHTFUL.)

4)      GENEROUS (to myself even!)

5)      SUPPORTIVE (this is the big one … my daughter is starting her first job ever and will need to find accommodation and transport, my youngest daughter is in her final year of junior school and will be finding her feet as she pushes into puberty, and my husband is getting his own business off the ground and into high gear this year. Not to mention those on my team at work, colleagues, friends, etc.)

6)      UNCOMPETITIVE (which is just totally against my nature – but this year I will try to take a back seat and let others do the ‘winning’.)

7)      MENTORING (this works in conjunction with words 5 and 6 and is one of my strengths – so this will be a year of honing my skills in this area. NOTE: I do not mean mentoring idiots or lazy bastards, as these tend to destroy words 1 and 2 and completely annihilate 4 and 5.)

8)      CONSOLIDATING (working with what I have and where I am at the moment – appreciating this and keeping my head under the radar for a change.)

9)      KIND (think more often before I speak – and try to be kinder to stupid, lazy bastards.)

10)   FAMILY-ORIENTATED (rather than work-orientated – I tend to lose perspective on this way too often.)

11)   FOCUSSED (on my 11 words.)