Making Life Better {One Little Word 2017}

Since choosing my One Little Word for 2017, Better, I've not really mentioned it much. I've found, once more, that for the first few months with a new word that I internalise it - really thinking about what the word means to me - before I start to 'use' it.

At the end of January, I wrote a list of five areas of my life that I would like to improve and, how each of those areas could be 'better'. Those areas are: Relationships; Health, Home; Work/Life Balance and Finances. For each area, I decided on five things that I could achieve in 2017 that would make life feel better. I should note that I'm aiming for slow, overall improvement. I know that life won't be better simply by wishing for it and that lasting change takes time.

In February I moved house and, of course, this meant that I spent most of the month focusing on one of my five areas - home. Spending fifteen minutes each day on a house/home related task (sometimes as simple as washing up or doing the laundry) really helped me to focus on my word and on making small incremental improvements that add up over time. I mean really, what's fifteen minutes, when I could easily spend that time browsing Pinterest?

It's in March, when I decided to focus on 'me', that I started to find it difficult. I intended to address some Health and Work/Life Balance issues, by simply spending fifteen minutes each day focused on something entirely for me. That shouldn't have been difficult. Fifteen minutes less laundry (or Pinterest) and fifteen minutes more 'me time'. But, after a strong start of bubble baths and new books, I found that I couldn't consistently choose myself, when so many other areas needed attention. 

The best thing about One Little Word is that this doesn't count as a failure. It's simply made me realise that I find it difficult to look after myself and I'm working on it! And there's still a lot of 2017 left!

One Little Word, 2014

Followers of Ali Edwards will probably be familiar with the concept of One Little Word,a choice of word to help define the year ahead. My choice of word for 2014, focus, has meaning on several levels -

A Clear, Visual Direction - Defined personal and professional aims.

Seeing More Clearly - Paying close attention to what makes me happy.

Adapting To The Light - Embracing opportunity and adventure, welcoming change.

Concentrating On One Thing At A Time - Living in the moment.

The Point Of Convergence: All things coming together.

Focus, by Craig Jewell Photography.

I have no idea where this new found 'focus' will take me during the next year, but I am looking forward to finding out! Have you considered choosing One Little Word for 2014?

Getting Shifty With My Counterfeit Kit

Last night I sat down in my craft room with only one objective: to make a page for this year's One Little Word. I've definitely had my word - shifty - in mind recently and I'd like to start documenting how it's starting to define me and my choices this year. But first, a title page.

So with this month's The Counterfeit Kit on standby, plus a few of my gorgeous stamps from Make The Day Special, I got a 'shift on'.

I would never have used this Making Memories patterned paper as a background (or possibly, ever) without the encouragement from the Counterfeit Kit Club. It seemed just too damn special. So, in order to make myself feel a little bit better about using it, I pulled the rest of the papers from my scrap stash.

The main focal paper was a practice sheet which I'd tested out my shimmer mists and stamps on and I've only added a couple of pieces straight from the packet - some American Crafts Remarks, Thickers and a little bit of bling.

Here's to shifting some of my stash!

One Little Word

Followers of Ali Edwards will probably be familiar with the concept of One Little Word - a choice of word to help define the year ahead. Though I have thought about it many times whilst following Ali's blog, there has never been a time before when one word seemed to be appropriate. But, reading through the words from the thousands of people taking part this year, a word suddenly popped into my head - and it made sense on so many levels.

Tilt Shift - Photo Credit: Conwy Marina In Miniature by Eifion

So, what was it? There were so many beautiful, descriptive words to choose from - believe, passion, peace, story, strive, nourish and bloom - to name just a few. Mine? Shift. That's right, shift. It may not be the most beautiful of words, but don't judge too quickly. Once I'd thought of it, it lodged itself into my brain and started telling me what it could do to help me define 2011.

Shift will help me to:

Change direction - a shift in the wind;
Rearrange my living space - shift things around;
Reinterpret the world - paradigm shift;
Look at things from a new perspective - tilt shift;
Become more confident and independent - I can shift for myself;
Re-evaluate priorities - shift emphasis.
Lose weight - shift a few pounds; and
Get out and about more - shift my arse.

Here's to a year of being 'shifty'. Oh, no, wait...