Will you be choosing a “Word of the Year” for yourself for 2022? In 2021, my word was GLOBAL. Why? Because my ultimate goal is to spread the Financial Dignity® Movement around the world! Focusing on the word “global” reminded me to stretch out of my American comfort zone and make connections with people on different continents. One of my besties even gave me a silver necklace with a globe on it as a reminder.
I joined networking groups and masterminds with people all over the world. (Social media definitely made this easier!) I knew I had made great strides when a woman in Africa sent me a Facebook message a few weeks ago to tell me that my book, Money is Emotional, gave her hope and positively changed her life!
Selecting a word for your year helps you focus on something important, which is why I do it.
My 2022 Word of the Year? CURATE
What It Means
According to Dictionary.com, the definition of “curate” is: to take charge of or organize; to pull together, sift through, and select for presentation. You’ve probably heard of the term in conjunction with museums, as in the museum’s curator. Curators are in charge of the collection of exhibits in a museum or art gallery. Their job is to seek out and carefully select items to add to the collection, and decide when pieces go.
Why Curate?
The most popular choices for Word of the Year in 2021 were Balance, Focus, Brave, Growth, Simplify, and Gratitude. So, why not something similar? All of these words are positive and powerful. Lately, I’ve found myself not wanting to be like everyone else! So, maybe my word should be “contrary”! (Just kidding… sort of.) Last year I picked a word primarily focused on my work. This year, I wanted a word that applies to my whole life.
Like a museum curator, I want to be intentional and careful with what and who I allow into my life. For many of us, life has become crowded and over busy, and that’s the opposite of what I want. Museums have space in between their exhibits so you can truly enjoy and take in the artwork without feeling hurried to get to the next one. Walking through a cramped museum would not be a pleasurable experience.
As my business and income grows, it’s not about adding more, more, more. It’s about shedding the things that no longer bring me joy, and only adding in new things that delight me.
My Curated Life
There is both a positive and a negative meaning to the term “a curated life.” When it comes to social media, it refers to a person who only shares the very best parts of their life. So, you might think this person has a charmed life when, in reality, they’re only sharing the “highlight reel.” This is not what I’m going for! If you’ve been in my world for any length of time, you know I’m transparent in sharing my mistakes and life struggles.
Curating my life means carefully choosing what I allow to shape my atmosphere, relationships, and sense of well-being. It’s about realizing my worth and making choices that support it. It’s being mindful about how I spend my time, money, and energy.
A curated life isn’t the same as minimalism. Minimalists strive to only use things that serve a purpose. It’s about living simply and having only what you need to go about your daily life. In contrast, a curated life includes luxury and beauty. It’s not just about purpose and function. For me a curated life combines both purpose and beauty, function and luxury. For example, rather than owning multiple pairs of mittens and gloves for the winter, I have a single pair of gorgeous red leather gloves that make me smile every time I put them on.
A curated life goes beyond the things I buy. It’s also about the relationships in my life. I want to be intentional about spending time with people who bring me joy and enhance my life. (Drama? Ain’t nobody got time for that!) This goes for both friends and clients. I don’t need to have 100 close friends or even 10,000 people on my business email list. If I have the right people in my circle, both my life and business will flourish.
My 2022 Word of the Year is CURATE.
I’m going to be intentional about what and who I add into my life. An overcrowded life is a stressful one, not one that will bring me joy. Here’s for quality over quantity in every area of life!
What’s your 2022 Word of the Year? Follow me on Facebook or LinkedIn and let me know.