Word of the Year, 2022...

 ...another year already? The pandemic has been both the longest, and the shortest, span of my life...

This is only my second run at this 'word to frame my year' thing... and I'm hoping it goes at least as well as last year.

I won't call my Process year a resounding success, but it wasn't a failure, either - looking up at the word, written on a small whiteboard across the room from me, was a good reminder that I don't need to define myself by finished objects. The journey *does* matter at least as much as the destination.

I bought new equipment for the studio, I did a lot of thinking about workflow, I did some planning... I won't say I accomplished a TON, but I feel mostly okay about where I ended up.

As the year ticked on, at least one thing became clear. I want to continue the exercise - and by November, I was pondering new words - but reminding myself that Process wasn't done yet, so there was no rush to pick. 

In a chat with a friend, partway through December, I had it.

Purpose

Purpose is funny - because it can apply to objects as much as it does to inner direction. I plan to use both, this year. I've allowed myself time for reflection, during last year's (Process) decision to honour my need to 'just be'...and choosing a direction for growth is a nice stepping stone from there.

...but I've also spent nearly 2 years almost entirely within my apartment - only leaving for appointments, and, once COVID protocols were in place, to run drop-ins at the Guild Room.

This means I'm becoming more and more aware of the need to winnow some of my 'extras'. I don't think I'll ever achieve the Minimalist goal of a wide open, sparse, Zen-like space... but I could do better. The things I choose to keep in my life need to fulfill _their_ Purpose.

And if they don't, I need to find a way to let them go - so there's room for the items I choose to keep.

Purpose is also about using all the thinking I've done about workflow, and applying it. I have the tools, but they're no good to me if I don't use them. Purpose is about using all the skills I've accumulated over the years, and building better habits, so that I *can* be productive, even with minimal spoons.

Purpose is about choosing when to throw things away, when to donate them so they find purpose with someone else, and when to mend them, so they fulfill their purpose for longer, and don't clutter up the landfill...

...and it's about looking ahead, and not wallowing in stasis, or dwelling on things that could lock me in my past, and keep me from my course.