You know what I find fascinating about the whole One Little Word® concept? Some years a word will come to me loud and clear and other years my word will show up as quiet whisper. And I’m never quite sure in any year which one will happen.

Last year I skipped OLW because I was pregnant, just barely out of that exhausting first trimester and I just didn’t feel like I needed something else added to my plate. And really, there wasn’t any word that felt like it could capture all that 2014 had in store.

This year it’s the complete opposite. Back in November my OLW for 2015 came to me in a burst of inspiration and it was like YES, THAT IS MY WORD. Love when that happens.

Some of the words I’ve had in the past have been: focus, connect, adventure and determination, with adventure hands down being my favorite of the bunch so far.

So what’s my word for 2015?

OPEN

Why open?

Well I loved that it could be a noun, adjective or verb. I loved that it had a large variety of definitions that could be applied to my life in multiple ways.

But what I love most of all is that it’s a word outside my comfort zone.

Despite being an extroverted-leaning ambivert and running an online scrapbooking design business, I’m actually a pretty private person by nature. I’ve always been that way. I’m not an oversharer. I’m cautious about what I share to the point where I definitely over think it. I talk myself out of sharing things I’m excited about for way too many reason to share here, most of which I’m sure are totally lame.

Being open means being vulnerable and being vulnerable isn’t something I naturally do very well. But I think it’s time to change that.

Back in 2009 when Adam deployed to Afghanistan, I chose the word adventure. At the time I didn’t feel adventurous. I didn’t feel like an adventurer. But I knew it was what I needed to be to make it through that year.

And I loved it.

It pushed me outside my comfort zone in ways I hadn’t expected. I tried new things (like flying an airplane), got out and met new people and it was ultimately that year that gave me the courage to launch NettioDesigns.

It was a word that stuck with me ever since. The quote you find at the bottom of this website is there because of that word. It changed me, became a part of me, and I’m feeling hopeful that this year OPEN will do the same.

As part of that I decided this year instead of taking Ali’s One Little Word class, I would choose three goals/intentions to focus on with my word this year.

Here is my list:

1) OPEN book

At the top of my list for my word this year is to share more. I want to push myself to be an open book, not necessarily to the point of over sharing but I would love to be more open about why I do what I do and what lessons I’ve learned especially when it comes to running a creative business.

I know I’ve learned so much from people who’ve been open with me that it’s high time I return that favor.

2) OPEN to new ideas

This past year felt like a bit of a lost year for me both creatively and with my business. Part of that had to do with having a baby midway through the year and adjusting to motherhood and part of it had to do with me simply ready for something new.

What that new thing is, I don’t know yet, but this year I want to find out. I want to be open to new ideas, move outside my existing bubble and play, experiment, and try new things to see what shakes out.

3) OPEN to new adventures

Our family of three is making a pretty major change mid-year – as of May 2015, we will no longer be a military family. This is something we’ve be thinking about and working towards for several years and with Ryan being so young now feels like the time to go for it. We’re ready to make this leap but it’s still a little nerve wracking to leave behind the only lifestyle you’ve known for the past nine years.

So my goal this year is simply to keep an open mind and be open to whatever comes next. Really that could be the theme for this entire year which is why this word feels so perfect. I’m excited to see how it plays out!

What about you? Have you chosen a word for 2015? I feel like good things happen in years that end in multiples of five so I’m feeling pretty optimistic about 2015.

One Little Word® is a year-long project created by Ali Edwards. You can learn more about it on her site here.

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