Happy New Year!

Every year, instead of making a New Year's resolution, I choose a Word of the Year. This year, my word is "journal."

Instead of waking up and immediately scrolling through my phone, I plan to reach for my notebook to do three pages of writing (longhand) before anything else.

I learned this practice of keeping "morning pages" many years ago from writing coach Julia Cameron (The Artist's Way). Based on past experience, starting my day off with morning pages almost always results in having a happier, more productive day. 

"Pages clarify our yearnings. They keep an eye on our goals... They will point the way True North. Each morning, as we face the page, we meet ourselves. The pages give us a place to vent and a place to dream. They are intended for no eyes but our own."

—Julia Cameron

New Year, New Wall

Last year, I enthusiastically added all of our team members' names to my office wall after choosing the word zeal as my Word of the Year. My wall became the background for my video calls throughout 2021 and was often the subject of small talk before a meeting. 

This year, I challenged everyone from the publishing team to think of their own Word of the Year. At the beginning of this week, my office wall was a blank slate. Today, it's full of inspirational words to help us keep our hearts, minds, and bodies on important goals throughout the year. 

Note: The Word of the Year challenge is also in our How to Write a Basic Paragraph lesson.

Glossary

• journal (noun): a personal notebook
• journal (verb): to record thoughts in writing
• longhand (noun): cursive handwriting
• scroll (verb): to browse content (especially on a touch screen) without much thought or care
• productive (adjective): getting a lot accomplished
• zeal (noun): great energy or enthusiasm
• background (noun): the scene behind a person or object
• a blank slate (expression): a fresh start, a new beginning

Question of the Month 

What's your word of the year for 2022?

Please join us in choosing a Word of the Year for 2022! Tell us your word and explain the reason for your choice. Teachers, learners, and ESL Library staff are welcome to join!