One Little Word 2021 | Flow

My word for 2021 is Flow. It came to me during the final weeks of January and after some reflection time I settled into this word. The pandemic has meant things have felt uncertain, changeable and sometimes unknown and I wanted a word I could use to support me through the year ahead and feel anchored by.

Connecting to a word each year has become part of my rhythm for the year, the words support my reflections, my personal learning and growth, and are a way for me to connect with nature as the words that have arisen bring about a connection with metaphors in the natural world. My words over the past 8 years have been Grow (2013), Embrace (2014), Simplify (2015), Awaken (2016), Thrive (2017), Nurture (2018), Bloom (2019) and Light (2020). This year is my 9th word and I’m excited to see what Flow will help me bring to life in 2021.

Each year I’ve started to notice with each of the words came a different type of energy. I noticed the natural metaphors which connected alongside the word and I felt drawn to, and eventually the words helped me connect to the seasons in the year and connect to a season for the time ahead. Without discovering my words my wholesome living coaching business wouldn’t have had such a personal meaning and purpose and the nod to the seasonal connection that it does.

The word Flow arrived after thinking about how I wanted to support myself during a potentially unknown year ahead. I initially thought about Meander as an option however it didn’t fill me with the quite the energy and perspective I was seeking from a word. After some reflecting, and talking about it with a fellow coaching friend Tee, I landed on Flow. Playing around with what I was visualising with Meander led me to Flow, both words brought to mind a river coursing through the landscape as a visualisation. Flow became the bigger picture view that Meander didn’t bring, I was seeking the ability to rise above small details and look at a bigger picture.

Flow as a word brings a feeling of movement and being in the moment. I wanted a word this year to help guide me gently and joyfully to move forwards and build momentum across a few things in my life. I have felt moments where I feel myself holding back from opportunities that are presented to me, by leaning into the word Flow I feel will be a useful way to travel gradually towards a destination.

I used to think I knew when I was in Flow, it felt a rare moment in a month at times. Sometimes had to drop what I was doing to capture the idea, document the moment or sink into the energy to create something. I recognise that the times when this Flow appears it can feel like a rare moment and can feel quite transformational and insightful in what I create and do. However I want to discover what it can feel like to be in Flow in different ways and in different moments and I will see what this is like during the year ahead.