For the past decade, instead of establishing New Year’s resolutions, I’ve selected a focus word as my guiding light for the year.
Last year I selected a short phrase: Joie de Vivre—joy of life.
As we start a new decade, this will be the first time that I’m choosing a repeat.
Joie de Vivre has been—and continues to be—so incredibly fulfilling that I’m choosing to embody and focus on it again.
Joie de Vivre—A delight in being alive; an exuberant, keen, or buoyant enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit.
Joie de Vivre—A philosophy of life, a sentiment that involves one’s whole being.
Do you have a focus word this year?
Tuesdays with Laurie 
EXCELLENT choice!
Ana — Thank you 🙂
The whole world needs a little bit more of that right now.
Fatima — Amen siSTAR! 🌟
I haven’t chosen one, but I like yours, Laurie! Happy new and joyful year!
Olga — Please feel free to snag JOIE DE VIVRE. The more, the better!
Cheers to Joie de Vivre, which you embody – heart, soul, mind – and body!
Yes, I too have a focus word for 2020, to be revealed in my Wednesday post this week. 🙂
Marian — I’m looking forward to learning your focus word for 2020! 🙂
What a fantastic question! Very similar to yours the word that would embody my vision board and desire to live big this year would be InJoy. Pausing in those moments that are less than desirable and ask how can I be injoy in this moment. With this intention I’ve found humor in myself for reactions when on the brink of frustration or judgement. Have a fantastic Joie de Vivre year!
Lana — InJoy. yes, Yes, YES! I love it! ❤️
I’ve enjoyed your Joie de Vivre this past year! It’s a great counter balance to all the seriousness we are faced with at this moment in the world.
I’ve chosen, not necessarily as a focus word but as a central practice, deep presence! I’ve been attending to presence in my life and as a practice, as well as coaching clients on presence. It has been identified as a meta competency for leaders and coaches. Kevin Cashman suggests that “presence is the real-time, simultaneous awareness of self, others, purpose, organization and society.”
I am embracing presence as both a way of being and a meta-competency.
Audrey — DEEP PRESENCE. Ohhhhhh, I love it as both a way of being and a meta-competency 🙂
That phrase encompasses so much that is worthy to pursue… A pursuit of joy – for me at least – is a pursuit of hope and compassion, of making room for forgiveness, of creating peace and accepting peace. Embrace the Joy!
MomzillaNC — yes, Yes, YES! “The pursuit of hope and compassion, of making room for forgiveness, of creating peace and accepting peace.”
Stay Calm-‘Patience’ is the key word I will try to keep in mind. No reaction no stress’ no wasting time. Thank you Dr Laurie for the guidance and reminders.
Anjum Wasim Dar — PATIENCE with the added benefits of not reacting to stress or wasting time. yes, Yes, YES! 🙂
Yes! Cornucopia–because I want to adjust my world view from fear, from the-sky-is-falling, to one of abundance.
Kay — I love your shift in perspective from “the sky is falling” to “one of abundance.” You nailed it on the head with CORNUCOPIA 🙂
The figurine in your photo captures your word perfectly!
Carol — It’s a bronze figurine made in Burkina Faso, West Africa. When I saw it, I fell in love with it for my sister (who I’ll be seeing soon). I got it for her because it so well expresses Joie de Vivre!
Definitely worth reusing! I picked three words for this year: support, connect, motion
Darlene — I love your trifecta! Yaaaay 👏👏👏
Joie de Vivre will always be a baseline tenet for me, but this year my focus word will be “focus.” 🙂 I tend to get sidetracked from tasks (such as writing, for a big example) and wind up wandering off course. This year will be better in that respect!
Chris
Chris — FOCUS is a fantastic focus word, especially for an author (who has fans waiting in the wings for another book. Hint, hint) 🙂
I think I need a whole library of words for this year, but I will start with a secret….Sometime in early July I believe I will be a Grandmother for the first time! Shhhhh I am not supposed to tell anyone yet….
I do feel as though I am a Grandmother for 1 dog, 3 cats, 3 finches,and 4 chickens at the moment – I am most proud of the amazing feeling of being the Grand person to 3 young adult novels ( I feel that writing a book is very similar to producing a child)
So the exact word is not yet on the tip of my tongue and your JOIE DE VIVRE will just hold me in place until my own comes into focus….Thank you
February 8th I am reviewing a book which is going to be a LUNA must have, I am sure of it……another surprise indeed
Patricia — Mum’s the word. Your secret’s safe with me.
I’ll be OFF the grid and ON hiatus Feb 1-19. I’m marking my planner now that when I get back to check out your Feb 8th post so I can check out the book that Luna will love. Thank you for the heads-up. 🙂
Post of book shifted to January 8. It is up now. FYI
Patricia — I just found it and LOVE it. I’ve got a gift certificate for our local Indy bookstore. THIS is the book that I’m going to use it on. Woohoo!
Laurie, I want to be upfront here…..I am coveting the Dancing Queen! She radiates Love and Joy, and casts a broad swath of cheerfulness as she goes. Now for my subject of focus, coming off a highly decorated Christmas, it seemed just right then…I am standing by my old favorite: Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. Thanks to Henry David Thoreau for that excellent advice that still echos down the years, decades, and centuries and continues to be timely, no matter the calendar date. Now that it has become imperative that all space has to be pulling it’s weight and being useful, it’s easier to gaze on some old artifact or relic of mine and ask, “Really? Really? Kiss it goodbye, let it go. Don’t think about it, just do it. Anyway, do the best you can.” Oddly enough, I never miss what I do away with, usually I can’t even remember it. Simplify!
Sandi — I love SIMPLIFY. It’s right up there in the top three for me. And the Dancing Queen? Isn’t she just wonderful? She’s a gift I got for my sister when I see her real soon 🙂
A wonderful idea. My 2019 word was “resilience.” This year will be “reconciliation.” Happy New Year!
Rebecca — I love the smooth transition from “resilience” to “reconciliation.” Nice. Very nice, indeed!
Be.
Espirational — I love it!
The word perspective keeps popping up on my radar. So for 2020 I think I will be mindful of how this shifts both as I learn and grow and when I speak with others.
Bespoke Traveler — I think that PERSPECTIVE (especially as it relates to personal development and communication) is wonderful!
Yes, beautiful choice!
Steven — Thank you 🙂
You are most certainly welcome!
Your emphasis and focus of joie de vivre is certainly a wonderful way to launch a new year and a new decade, Laurie. I always have a word, too. I’ve been a little slower to be sure that I have that word this year, but I think I’m tuning into “calm,” which I’ve had to think about. Last year was challenging and I think along with “calm” there’s a sense of healing and quiet and peace. I really do enjoy having a word to bring me back to center once in a while. 🙂
Debra — I so agree with you that the word CALM brings a sense of healing, quiet, and peace. What a great focus word.
Love yours Laurie …it’s so you . I’m going to steal calm from Debra if you don’t mind . It’s a state I need to be in more often 🙃
Cherryx
Cherry — Steal away. I promise I won’t tell anyone 🙂
I love your phrase. It is sure to lead you through a positive year. I selected my word during our Epiphany star service at my church, so my word was given to me – as was last year’s. It is Jubilation. I’ve discovered that this word is much more complex than one would think. In the Jewish tradition, it’s not so much about joy, but more about release. Interestingly, Release was last year’s word. Interesting undercurrents to ponder.
Arlene — I loved learning that JUBILATION is about release. That’s soooooo very important. And yes, since your word last year was release, it does point to “interesting undercurrents to ponder.”
Joie de Vivre says it all for me. A brilliant phrase, not often heard. I’ll adopt this if that’s ok.
Welcome to My World — I’m glad that Joie de Vivre resonates with you. Absolutely adopt this short phrase as your focus word. Woohoo! 🙂
An excellent motto. I feel it should be your ‘signature’. 👏 happy 2020, dear Laurie 💕
Aquileana — Thank you! Happy New Year to you and yours! Wishing you the best in this new decade 🙂
Likewise, dear Laurie ✌️ thank you 😘