2014 UNword of the Year

As I mentioned on Friday, I'm jumping on another ___ of the year bandwagon: choosing an UNword. It's a nice complement to choosing a word of the year, don't you think? Rhythm is my word, and my UNword is distraction. This is the word I want to NOT be my theme for the year. It embodies something I want to eliminate from my life rather than embrace.

I hope the Nester doesn't think I'm copying her...

...Even though I kind of am. I don't think she'll mind though, because it is actually something I've been thinking about a lot lately.

Distracted is what I feel all. the. time. My mind is always going in a million directions. I've got a million ideas swirling all up in there. I check my iPhone compulsively for new emails, new Facebook updates, new Instagrams. I'm distracted by myself, by the world around me, by work...you get the gist.

By nature, I'm a multitasker, a list maker, a doer, and a person with high idea productivity (yep that's a thing). On their own, those things are good qualities, but when they go haywire and happen all at once, it becomes a problem.

There are certainly good distractions in my life too, but because I'm always flitting from one thing to the next, sometimes I miss out on them. For example, did you know it's hard to really listen and have a deep conversation with a friend when you let your mind wander to your to do list or your schedule for tomorrow?

I'm guessing this is familiar territory for a lot of you.

I think that in order to start eliminating distraction I need to slow down and put blinders on, if you will, so I can do things well instead of just adding more, more, more until my head explodes. More focus. Less wandering.

I've been trying to do this over the past week or so and it's hard. I know it'll take time (the rest of my life?) to develop good habits to break the distraction habit. I'm praying hard against it too. I know I can't do this on my own.

So will you join me in choosing an UNword of the year? These wonderful ladies below (Fieldstone Hill Design, Nesting Place, Life in Grace and The Painted House) are hosting a gathering tomorrow on their blogs to discuss UNwords. I'm planning to be there to check out others' plans for what they're leaving behind for 2014. Even if you don't have a blog, I'd love to hear what your is!