Happy New Year! As I get older, I find myself becoming more nostalgic as each year ends. January is a great time to reflect on where we have been, where we are and where we are headed. I also think many of us are thankful for the fresh start that each new year brings.
As you look back at 2024, what will be in your memory bank? For many Americans, the year will be remembered for the continued political polarization in our country highlighted by Donald Trump being only the second person to win non-sequential terms as president. For others, the memory bank will be filled with the destruction from the five hurricanes that made landfall in the continental U.S., especially with regard to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Other 2024 notable memories may include the total solar eclipse in April, the Paris Olympics, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, inflation, interest rates, the suspicious drone sightings in New Jersey, the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the fall of Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria or the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine as well as with Israel and Hezbollah.
Of course, no athlete had a bigger impact than Caitlin Clark who became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history and then energized the WNBA as a rookie for the Indiana Fever.
Agriculturally, 2024 may include fewer positive memories. Most of our Ohio farmers had to endure a historic drought and overcome higher input costs, lower crop prices, higher CAUV taxes and fret over the uncertainty of when a new farm bill might be crafted to help provide risk management support.
As we look back on 2024, there are also a few words that resonated with Americans. Different sources cited some of the most used and searched words as: polarization, brain rot, totality, metaverse, cryptocurrency, resilience, inflation, rent-free, IYKYK, fortnight, dap, touch grass, pander, resonate, demure, manifest, pardon and clemency.
We can’t control the word or words that will be used to describe a year in retrospect. However, is there merit in being intentional about the words we individually focus on as we start a new year? A few years ago, I followed the advice of my wife to concentrate on ONE word for the year instead of making a long laundry list of New
Year’s Resolutions. Simple enough, right? Just one word.
Some of the words that I have chosen in the past include organize, transition, patience, declutter, intentional and manage. While I focused intently on each of these words, I must admit that I am still a work in progress.
So, what is my word for 2025? Of course, there are lots of words to choose from especially since the Merriam-Webster Dictionary contains nearly 470,000 words including 200 words which were added this year. Words such as presence, mindfulness, prune and shepherd bubbled up as I did my self-reflection. But after much thought, I decided on the word time.
Why did I choose the word time? As I get older, I have become more contemplative of the moments that have passed and those moments that I would love to go back to and have a re-do on. How could I have used my time more wisely? How could I have been a better son, brother, father, husband, colleague and friend?
As I write this, one of my favorite songs titled “Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent is playing. Thanks to this song, I know each year gifts us with 525,600 minutes of life. So, it is my choice on how I will shepherd the use of my time, to make sure that I am present in all things and thankful for all things. That wherever I am, I will be all there. Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life” frequently speaks about the value of time. One of his most resonating quotes is “The greatest gift you can give someone is your time because when you give your time, you are giving a portion of your life that you will never get back.”
So, what word will help drive your focus, health, relationships, energy and work into the new year? I encourage you to ponder and then post your word somewhere as a reminder. This could be on the bulletin board, refrigerator, in the milk house, farm shop or in your office as a simple reminder of where to keep your focus.
And remember a great reminder from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross who stated, “It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth — and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up, we will then begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.”
Seize your word and have a good and safe new year!
