As an enneagram one, coming up with a word of the year is one of my favorite parts of starting a new year. It provides structure and a framework to operate under for the next 12 months. In true enneagram one fashion, I am drawn to words like “diligent” or “focus.” Words that require “doing” to reach “perfection.” It’s easy to beat myself up for not doing enough or being good enough, so words like the afore mentioned always seem fitting.
Often though, words like “focus” or “diligent” are arrived at as a result of punishing myself for not working hard enough the year prior. They’re words that to me, indicate that I failed somehow the previous year and need to focus more, work harder, or be more perfect the year to come. Similar to a back-handed compliment if you will. I am trying to move away from this sentiment.
Each year, as I approach the new year, I like to meditate on a few words for several months. I take time to reflect on the previous year, the previous year’s word, and the area of my life that needs the most attention moving forward. Several months ago I started meditating on the word “intentional.” I wanted (and still want) to continue working on being intentional in every area of my life. Being intentional at work, intentional with my friends, intentional with my time, intentional with family time, etc. I think it’s something I can probably always work on, right?
But, “intentional” never felt perfectly appropriate for my word of the year. Then, just recently I read a blurb about enneagram ones. The blurb talked about how enneagram ones are constantly striving to be perfect and good. While that can be a good thing, it can also be very detrimental; it can rob the person of finding joy in the process or outcome. This hit me so hard. I think that often times I am so focused on my task at hand or current goal that I miss the joy. So often I struggle to delight in the process, and to delight in the perfect or imperfect result.
So, after more reflection, and thanks to the enneagram nudge, my word for 2022 is “delight.”
2022 Word Of The Year: DELIGHT
delight: please (someone) greatly; great pleasure
I want to strive to experience true delight in all that I do. To allow myself to experience the pleasure in working toward something. To release myself from the burden of having to get something right before experiencing pleasure. To release myself from trying to be perfect 100% of the time and allow myself to delight in the sometimes messy process that is life.
My hope and intention is that I will be able to experience “delight” in all areas of my life. The neat thing about this word is that in order to create space to experience true delight, I will have to make some positive changes in my life. For example, setting aside time to pour into my relationship with my husband, being on my phone less so I can experience what’s around me, and learning to be present in each moment of my day.
I hope that throughout this year as I strive to “delight” in my highs and lows, that I will develop a practice that will serve me for the rest of my life. Life on earth is filled with such high highs, but also some very challenging times. I pray that I can learn to sustain peace and seek delight even in the hardest of months, days or years.
SIMPLE WAYS TO PRACTICE “DELIGHT:
- Seek good in others – strive to see the good in each person you interact with throughout the day.
- Seek a slower schedule – make space to enjoy your day and experience your day rather than running from one thing to the next.
- Find joy in the mundane, daily tasks – seek to enjoy even the most mundane of tasks (see: laundry).
- Trust God, worry less – worrying only steals your joy. My goal is to focus on trusting on God fully, worrying less, and allowing myself to delight in the hard and the easy/good!
- Engage in meditation – meditation helps to set and stay focused on your intention for the day.
Word Of The Year From Years Past:
2021 – LOVE
2020 – FAITHFULNESS
2019 – LISTEN
