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Reflecting on ten years of choosing a Word of the Year and the story these words quietly tell across the seasons of my life...
How This Ritual Began
I never set out to choose a Word of the Year; the practice began almost by accident. Grow in 2017 was the first word I officially chose. Only later did I look back at 2016 and realise it had been such a year of clearing out, paring back, and making space that Simplify fit it perfectly. From there, choosing a word each year became a natural rhythm — one word at a time, one year at a time.
What began unintentionally has become a quiet way of marking the seasons of my life. Some words guided me. Some simply named what the year became. And some were overtaken by life entirely. But together, these words trace a quiet arc—from simplifying and grounding, through loss and stillness and into renewal, blooming and forward movement—they reveal a decade of change, loss, renewal, and becoming. They tell a story I didn’t realise I was writing until now.
Some years followed their word closely. Others… life had different plans. Especially 2020–2023, which carried their own weight and tenderness, reshaping everything in ways no single word could hold. But even the years that went off-script still belong to the story. They shaped the arc just as much as the intentional ones.
What began unintentionally has become a quiet way of marking the seasons of my life. Some words guided me. Some simply named what the year became. And some were overtaken by life entirely. But together, these words trace a quiet arc—from simplifying and grounding, through loss and stillness and into renewal, blooming and forward movement—they reveal a decade of change, loss, renewal, and becoming. They tell a story I didn’t realise I was writing until now.
Some years followed their word closely. Others… life had different plans. Especially 2020–2023, which carried their own weight and tenderness, reshaping everything in ways no single word could hold. But even the years that went off-script still belong to the story. They shaped the arc just as much as the intentional ones.
What Is a Word of the Year?
A Word of the Year is a single word chosen to act as a touchstone for the year ahead — a quiet guide, a reminder of what matters or simply a way of naming the season you’re stepping into. Some people choose their word intentionally; sometimes the word chooses them.
My Ten-Year Word of The Year List
Year | Word | Reflections |
2016 | Simplify | When my simple life journey began... |
2017 | Grow |
|
2018 | Flourish |
|
2019 | Authentic | It was originally going to be "Laugh" but quietly changed after the year began with a bout of health anxiety that made me realise I wanted to get back to just being my real, true self. 🩷 |
2020 | Meaningful | This got lost amongst a year of uncertainty... |
2021 | Reap |
|
2022 | Just Be | This got lost mid-year after the loss of my Mum... 💔 |
2023 | Rise | This got lost due to relational trauma...💔although there was a peek of rise in the second half of the year... |
2024 | Renew & Transform | Slowly starting to rise again... |
2025 | Bloom | Lots of little blooms... 🌸 |
2026 | Momentum | Gathering energy for forward motion and maintaining the momentum... |
Looking back now, I can see the movement: simplifying, growing, pausing, grieving, rising, renewing, blooming and gathering momentum again. A decade of living, in single words.
If you choose a Word of the Year too, or if one has quietly chosen you, I’d love to hear what it is and how it’s shaping your season.
Go gently,
Denise Marron 🩷
🌿 10 Years of Simple Living 🌿
January 2016 - January 2026
January 2016 - January 2026
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