Taking a Risk by Rethinking

The word I chose for 2017 is RISK. Now I haven't done many risky things lately. In fact, I'm not really sure what risky things I should be doing.

I've been thinking about making some videos related to homemade resources or repurposing stuff. While I'm not really all that photogenic, I think this would be something to risk that still fits within my personal purpose.

I've been dabbling in writing some fiction, which is a risk. Or will be whenever I make it available to others.

There are a few other things that I think could be a risk but nothing really firm or that seems to be eminent.

Until now. (That certainly sounds ominous.)

Recently I've been thinking about this blog. I love writing. I love thinking and reflecting on play and educating young children. But I've been busy with some other things and haven't been able to write as much as I'd like over the past month or so.

So I'm taking a risk. I'm rethinking what I'm doing here. I'm wondering what this space needs to be...or if this space needs to be. What changes do I need to make? What new things need to happen here? What needs to stop? To up the risk factor, I'm writing about it now.

For now, I'm still posting - maybe not as regularly as in the past. But I want to make sure that whatever happens here, it's intentional and purposeful and helpful to someone else.

What are you risking now? Or, if you chose a word for 2017, how is it playing out in your year? Let me know in the comments.

One Word for 2017

A few years ago, inspired by One Word 365, I began choosing one word to guide me for the year. Instead of resolutions or goals, I use this one word to help me focus for the year.

As 2016 was ending, I began to think about the word that I had chosen for last year (purpose) and what the word would be for this year. I've been thinking about purpose and choosing things that line up with my purpose. (And maybe dropping a few things that do not line up.) While that's been a good focus for a year, I'm thinking that I need to push the envelope - in my teaching and my writing and my life.

I sometimes like to try new things but they definitely make me a little uneasy. I get really anxious when I think about moving out of my comfort zone. I still do some things outside that zone (because how do you grow if you don't). But I still make calculated moves and overthink what to do and how to do it. And I feel like something is around the corner that I need to pursue - I just don't know exactly what.

So that led me to think about my 2017 word and when it popped into my mind, I knew it was the right one.

This will be the year of the word RISK.

I want to take some risks. I want to do some things in the classroom that push me and maybe push the kids. I want to try things that are a little different or unusual (at least for me). I want to try some thing that seem uncomfortable.

And not just in the classroom. 

I would like to make some new and unusual memories this year. What does that mean? I don't know. But I would like to try some things I've never done before.

I want to find and use my writing in new ways and in new places. 

I want to do some "scary" things, things that push me to areas that are not my natural strengths or my natural comforts.

And I think that God may be leading me to take some "uncomfortable" steps, too.

Thinking these things is a little unsettling. Typing those things here is a LOT unsettling. Now someone outside my head knows that I'm thinking this. And, possibly, someone will ask me what new and risky things I've been doing. In other words, I might be held accountable for this word and that makes me really concerned.

Now I have to do it. 

I'm not going to jump out of a plane or pack up and move to the other side of the world. At least that's not what I think I'll do. 

But I will be out of the comfort zone this year. In the months ahead I'll write about some of these things. 

Here's to a year of RISK. (Gulp!)