Prestigious dictionaries, journals, historians, and even various food/football/art/politics bloggers do this, so I thought I might have a swing at it myself: Rather than raving on and on about my New Year’s Resolutions to drowsy friends and loved ones, I’ve decided instead to keep it to myself this year by choosing a single word that I promise myself I will make my 2017 all about.
These past two years, my life changed drastically as I got married, had a son, was accepted as a Full-time Rhetoric and Composition Instructor in the English Department at AUB, and joined the Writing Center team at AUB as well with the intention of both tutoring, and conducting my own private research. You could say it’s been hectic, and with my ongoing independent editing and copywriting projects, my firm decision to read more books this year and go back to the gym, and my dedication to regularly keep updating this blog, of course, it’s actually nothing short of overwhelming, at times.
Even as I write this, I’m still questioning whether I should give up at least one of my responsibilities. After all, I believe the Brazilians put it best when they said: “You can’t whistle while chewing on a sugar cane”. But isn’t that exactly why the majority of people, myself included, would precisely want to do so anyway?
All this musing is what led me to realize that be it a “Word of the Year” or a traditional “NYE Resolution,” I need a strategy. And what better way to express all that than with the word B.A.L.A.N.C.E? I couldn’t think of a better word to keep in mind while commencing the New Year: I have it all, and I want it all, and I think with a bit of time-management and priority setting, I’ll actually find a way to keep it all.
Will I stick to it? Time will certainly tell! Till then, stay tuned and leave this whistling chewer a comment below to let her know what your 2017 word is.
P.S: You could always check out the word of the year that my colleague May Mikati has chosen for some inspiration!
