Now the kids are back at school, I have been trying to get myself back in routine. Well, I say ‘back in routine’, I mostly mean ‘find a routine’.

I’m a disorganised person and I never know which way is up and I don’t like it very much. I’m beginning to think I need to timetable myself a bit and find a routine that gets what needs to be done, done without finding myself burned out, miserable or sinking under the pressure.

This incorporates all sorts of things and was all feeling like a bit of a marathon – I was ready to quit before I’d begun – when I remembered a post I’d briefly glanced over a while back over on The Joy Chaser. It was all about choosing your ‘word’ for 2016. Not a resolution as such, more of a theme or mantra. Something to bear in mind everyday, to centre yourself when everything gets too much, to focus on.

So I sat down with my shiny new diary and followed Michelle’s easy instructions to see if I could come up with a ‘word’ for the coming year. It was actually quite fun and reminded me a little of those quizzes you get in magazines only with less ridiculous answers and a bit more actual thought!

After a while I was left with a shortlist of five words – all contenders for my 2016 word – and I left it at that for a while to let it settle and to see if the right word jumped out at me.

The words were: Achieve, Happy, Live, Plan and Prepare

After a little over a day I knew what my word was. I’d said it accidentally more than once out loud and in my head when trying to work other things out and everything on my list of goals and ideals for the year seemed to point at this word more than the others.

So whilst I am going to keep all five of my words in mind, my word for 2016 is:

If I think about things and prepare in advance, I’m less likely to forget stuff, less likely to get overwhelmed by things, less likely to be utterly disorganised and lost. Being prepared will help me plan, let me live without stressing so much, will make me more relaxed and happy and will, hopefully, help me achieve my other goals through the year.

The worksheet Michelle designed to help you focus and find your word for the year is brilliant and completely free – you can find it here.

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