I started picking one word for the year when I read about one little word on Ali’s blog a couple year’s back.

I picked flex in 2011 and shine in 2012.  While I didn’t spend much time with either word in 2011 or 2012, this year I wanted to try again.  Sometimes, I find, when things are hard or when things are going well, it’s nice to have something to hang onto.

Of course, I hemmed and hawed about my word.  I wanted to pick the most perfect word.  Something that will make a difference in my life and change my thought patterns.  Some monumental word.  So around the middle of December I’d pick one word, try it out for the day, pick another word, try it out.  Asked Dan for some word ideas.  Thought about how a word might apply in challenging and not-so-challenging situations.

And then I decided there would be no perfect word.  I just had to pick something.  Already I was missing the point of the one little word by trying to overthink the situation.

Then it came to me.

Free.

I spend a lot of time feeling chained.  I am subjected to the whims and fancies of a two-year-old who changes her mind and mood every other minute.  I can’t keep up with all I want to keep up with.  And when I don’t feel strangled by my daily obligations, my mind is bridled with negative thought patterns or allowing other people to rent space in my head.

So.  Free.

Instead of feeling restricted by my life and by my thoughts, perhaps I can be free instead.  Free even just sounds good.  I liked just repeating it to myself.  I’m free, I’m free, I’m free.  Because I am so free as much as I feel enslaved to the never ending laundry and meal making and preschool tantrums.

To make the most of my word – and the year – I’m taking Ali’s One Little Word class.  I find Ali inspiring, so I look forward to getting the most of out of her class.  I plan to share some of the work I do for her class on the blog.

Did you pick  a word for 2012?  Did it work for you?  Are you picking a word for 2013?