Hello and welcome to Word of the Week! The first of 2017, Happy New Year to you all!
If you’re new here, Word of the Week is a nice and simple weekly linky, with everyone welcome to pop by and share. You reflect back on the past week and sum it up in one word. Then share your word with us in a blog post, with as little or as much explanation as you like. It’s a fun and friendly linky, so please do be lovely and visit as many of the other blogs as you can and share with them your thoughts on their words and weeks. I do comment on every entry to the linky, and if you add the Word of the Week badge to your post to help spread the ‘word’, I also tweet them out.
My word of the week this week is:
The first week of the year has seen me, along with millions of others, planning. Looking ahead. Considering.
I don’t make resolutions, but what I do find as the new year emerges is a renewed vigour to get back to work and studying after a lovely couple of weeks break with the family. I tend to look ahead and make plans for the coming weeks and months, as this hugely distracts me from the fact that it’s January, the worst month of the year in my view!
This vigour and enthusiasm is focused and balanced. I am breaking down work into small chunks and my bullet journal helps me to spread out tasks across days and weeks rather than having me dive into everything straightaway. This sort of planning actually frees up my time. It gives that all-important space for family time and even, dare I say it, a little me-time. Last year I got better and better at planning and compartmentalising things so that I would have time to be completely present with the kids, not easy to do when working from home around them and studying, but it was essential and it worked. This year I want to improve on that.
So this week I have got my blog diary up and running with actions for the month, my January bullet journal spreads are all set and in use and I’ve been hitting the books again, enjoying studying the Chinese empire. And the best bit? The balance feels right. I feel I have had plenty of downtime, lots of family time and I’m feeling relaxed. My to-dos are up to date and plans are in place, so all that remains is for me to sit and read or snuggle up with the kids. Perfect.
What about you? What one word sums up your week best?
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Linky opens at 6.30am Friday, to midnight on Sunday.
Disclosure: I was invited to shop at Grand Central with a lovely gift card
I totally need to be more organised this year!! I love a list and bullet points too.Thanks for hosting and happy new year! #WotW
I live with lists! x
Sounds like a perfect start to the new year, bullet journalling seems to be working really well for you! Long may the perfect balance continue xx
It really is, so handy to have everything out of my head and all in one place x
I got a diary for Christmas and think will try to be doing something similar! I need to make use of my time better. I hope you had a fab Christmas and happy new year! Xx
Hope it works for you. Thanks! x
Great word for this week Jocelyn, I’ve been feeling pretty much the same and my bullet journal and blog planner has definitely helped. My focus this year is going to be on balance. I want to slow down and fully be in the moment of each thing I do instead of dashing from one thing to the next. Thanks once again for continuing to run this fabulous linky x #WotW
It just helps to get it out of your head and somehow it can be seen and planned better that way, can’t it? Lovely that we’re both thinking along the same lines x
Oh you are organised. I thought I liked planning but you’re by far the better at it!
I do think it helps but my OH then suggests that I’m too inflexible because I like to follow a plan! Still, it works for me…well, sometimes!
I haven’t tried a bullet diary yet; I may have to look into it.
Thanks for hosting and glad you had a lovely festive break!
xx
I like to be organised! Ah, no, you see the secret is to plan in flexibility and free time, too – sounds mad but it works! x
My son has studied the Chinese Empire in detail and I remember once getting the train to Liverpool with him and he talked about it for the entire journey. It is interesting, but I was relieved to be coming home alone 😉
Ha ha, I understand! x
Balance is a wonderful thing if it can be achieved and it looks like you’ve managed it 🙂 I think sometimes people think it just happens but as you say in your post, there’s work involved. Good on you 😀
Oh no, it’s never ‘just happened’ in my case anyway! Fingers crossed it’s working so far, thanks x
We look forward and plan like this – especially for our eldest. He really struggles to get over the holidays being over and we need to line up events for them so he knows there are things to look forward to. I hope it’s cheered you up!
It certainly has, thanks!
I am trying to be more organised this year….So far it’s going well.
It sounds like you have found a good balance. Long may it continue x
Great, glad it’s working well for you x
It’s so good to get that balance right. I really should try to get more organised myself as it sounds like it’s working really well for you. Hope 2017 will be a good year for you 🙂
So far, so good! Thank you, you too x
So good that you’ve it all balanced out and planned. I think if we’ve planned and execute it, that’s half the battle! Thanks for hosting #wotw
It is indeed! x
Balance sounds like a great word to have in one’s life. The bullet journal sounds brilliant. #WotW
I really wouldn’t be without mine now.
I love a list and breaking down things in small sections helps me feel more motivated to achieve and be less daunting. All the best for the new year X #wotw
Yes I think there’s real value in breaking things down, much easier to do them then! x
Its funny how people view January I find it so exciting, almost like new beginnings. I am always buzzing with ideas and dead excited for a year ahead. Christmas is just fab though isn’t it? I love that chilled out family time x
Oh no, I get like that in spring! x
I love that you have been able to find that balance. I’m desperately trying to work on it but I always feel like I’m thrown a curve ball. I did try a planner but did use it to it’s full advantage. Hopefully this time next year I can say I found my balance too #WotW
It is a tricky one, and it’s always teetering, but I am determined!