Listen: My 2020 Word of the Year
Many people create resolutions for the New Year. I’ve certainly done that. However, don’t ask me to name my resolutions from past years. I’m not sure what resolutions I made or if I succeeded in keeping them! Do you remember yours?
So, this year, instead of making quick-dissolve “New Year’s Resolutions,” I’ve chosen a word for the year. I was inspired to do this by my longtime friend and schoolmate Katy Rose of ModlyChic who attests that choosing a word can be a great tool to frame the year ahead. Choosing to concentrate on a word for the year will help set my awareness in order to accomplish all my intentions, big or small.
My word for 2020 is “Listen”
This year, I’d like to focus on listening in three ways: listening to myself, listening to others, and listening to my surroundings.
Listen to Myself: Reflective Self-Care
When we listen to ourselves, we are reflecting on how we feel — mentally and physically. If I’m feeling really stressed out, I will most likely feel the effects of anxiety and stress in the form of hair loss, acne, or body aches and pains. Conversely, if I have a physical injury, then I’ll most likely suffer mentally as well.
Listening to our bodies and minds is at the heart of self-care
In my late teens and early 20s, I had some serious issues with eating. I went from a healthy weight to under 100 lbs in 12 months. It was really scary, and it was hard to stop the pounds from drifting off due to the strict rules I created for myself concerning food intake. I struggled for 10 years in order to be able to eat and drink in moderation.
For 2020, I vow to listen to myself in order to practice conscious consumption. To be mindful about what I eat or drink, or even how much data I consume, I have to check in with myself a lot. How am I feeling? How are my energy levels? Where is my head at? The answers to these questions can usually set me on the right course, or at least pinpoint my current state of mind/body.
There’s no way to really be finished with caring for ourselves — the process is lifelong and ongoing.
For any self-care concern, I’ve found that in order to really connect and listen to myself, I have to step back from whatever I’m doing and slow down. Then I can identify my feelings and define my thoughts so that I can find a remedy.
Listen to Others: Don’t Speak/Act Until Fully Informed
I know myself enough to be aware that I am slightly insecure. I have a tendency to crave acknowledgement and attention. I also have a great desire to create and leave my mark on the world. Often times, I’m so concerned with contributing that I jump in without taking the time to listen to what’s been done, what’s been said, or what’s already in place. Do you find that you do the same?
In order to proceed and achieve personally and professionally, we need to be able to listen.
Interestingly enough, listening is something I wanted my students to improve on when I was a high school teacher. During group discussions, I noticed that my students had trouble listening to others before chiming in. They didn’t fully recognize the contributions of their peers before making their own statements. This created discussions that were surface-level, stagnant, and repetitive. At the beginning of each semester, I took measures to ensure that my students were seeking the value behind others’ words before making judgments.
For 2020, I will work on listening because I fear I have fallen short of my own expectations for others. Therefore, I will strive to follow the following rules I set in place for my former students.
To listen well, there are three main things to keep in mind:
- Wait until the other person is done speaking to make a respectful point.
- Ask yourself what you can learn from the other person. Refrain from judging the speaker or zoning out during the delivery.
- Maintain attention to the speaker. Show them you are listening with verbal or non-verbal affirmation, such as nod of the head, a smile, or mirroring the speaker’s expression.
Listen to My Surroundings: Seek Nature
I’ve always been an advocate of the healing powers of nature. Spending time in nature delivers a serenity and joy that isn’t able to be accessed in other areas of life. The sunlight shining through the trees, the wind playing with the cattails, the fresh air…these elements and others can “ease our stress and worry, help us to relax and to think more clearly. Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us.”
Being in nature is the perfect way to practice listening.
Experiencing the natural world coaxes us to be silent in order to absorb nature’s gifts (there’s a reason that “Listen” and “Silent” share the same letters!). When our bodies and minds are silent, we see the clarity by which we actually exist and we can truly access our feelings.
Listening is an important skill
We hear what we listen for. In our current world inundated with social media and instant gratification, we stifle the need to tune into ourselves. Instead, we choose to tune out. Scrolling and binge-watching isn’t self-care. It’s self-sabotage. When we remove distractions, allow for silence, and give ourselves the chance to listen, we can reap the benefits of restoration, self-knowledge, and growth.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Did you make a resolution or choose a word for 2020? I’d love to hear your story.
