2020 (and 2019) Word of the Year: Contentment

I’ve tried to pick a word of the year a few times since getting back to using a paper planner in my life. But no matter which word I chose, I never managed to incorporate it into my daily life. So, in 2019, I vowed to pick a word that really fit the stage of life that I was in – I was having my second baby that year, and my vestibular migraine symptoms had been steady for a few years. I couldn’t choose a word that embodied a lofty goal that I’d have no chance of achieving with a newborn, toddler and a dizzy brain. I settled on “contentment,” which is defined as a “state of happiness and satisfaction.”

I didn’t end up spending much time with my word of the year in 2019, so when the time came to pick a word for 2020, I thought it was still a good contender. In the fall of 2019, I treated myself to my first set of Powersheets by Cultivate What Matters, which included a section on choosing a word of the year. I went through the process and considered a few other words, but ultimately “contentment” still came out as the best fit.

Some googling resulted in my favorite quote (so far) about contentment, from Tony Gaskins: “To be content doesn’t mean you don’t desire more, it means you’re thankful for what you have and patience for what’s to come.”

I think this perfectly sums up why contentment is a great word for my current season of life. I hope to find a better treatment for my vestibular migraine condition that will allow me to go back to work and get my career back on track. And I am taking steps to be ready for that time. But I also want to enjoy life as it is now, with two little boys and my husband, my forever home, and volunteer work. I will aim to find contentment where I am right now.