This has been on my mind for a couple of weeks now. Let me first explain this for my new followers, then we will dive right in.

Each year, I choose one word to concentrate on for the year. This started in 2007 when I was going through some MASSIVE yuckiness, and has been an annual tradition ever since. It actually originated from Ali Edwards, and she even has a class on it for any scrapbookers or journalers out there. You can read more about her 2012 word here. For me, it’s a word that is typically something that I need to work on, or focus on, or something that will help me morph into the person that I want to be. For 2011, my word was CONFIDENCE. You can read the blog post here that explains it. 2011 was a HUGE year for me, so many things changed. I decided to change my business focus to include weddings and boudoir, and in doing so, met SO many new people! I took on some projects that were overwhelming, as a challenge to myself in building confidence. I worked with some mentors, and continued to improve my photography skills, and learn new skills in business. I got married and successfully planned a wedding, and kept my sanity in the process. HUGE accomplishment, as I’m sure any of the 2011 brides can attest to!

While going through some words for 2012, a lot of things have popped into my head. Extraordinary, Achieve, Begin, Overcome, Limitless, Possibility, Gratitude, Soar and Transform, to be exact. And they’re all fantastic words, that are very valid and would be a good fit for me right now. But in thinking more about this, I realized what has been holding me back SO much. And quite frankly, it kind of pisses me off that my inner brat is allowing this to happen. I’M doing it to myself.

FEAR has been holding me back. I alluded to it in my video to enter to be with Zach and Jody in Seattle, and in realizing this, I’ve been analyzing it and dissecting it more and more. Which is so like me. To overanalyze, go over every little thing in my brain and pick everything apart, making sure that I have figured out every little nook and cranny of something – while actually not doing anything about it. So, ladies and gentlemen, that is my word for 2012. Not fear. I want to move AWAY from fear. But in order to do so, I need to take ACTION.

ACTION. There it is. The magic word. The thing that I know I need to do more of in so many aspects of my life. I have confidence, thank you 2011, but sometimes the fear takes over and keeps me from taking ACTION to do what I know I need to do. Stupid, right? Ridiculous, really, but reality.

I was looking for some sort of awesome quote to go with this word, this IDEA of taking action. I actually came across lots of them that I loved, so I thought that in addition to the one that I ended up choosing, I will share the others as well.

• Thinking will not overcome fear but action will. – W. Clement Stone –
• An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory. – Ralph Waldo Emerson –
• Some people dream of success… while others wake up and work hard at it. – Author Unknown –
• If you wait until all the lights are “green” before you leave home, you’ll never get started on your trip to the top. – Zig Ziglar

They’re good, right? I’ve seen the Zig Ziglar one before, but the others are new to me. All of these resonate with me though, they all hit a little too close to home. Especially that first one, specifically talking about fear. The one I chose to add to my word though is actually from a man that was definitely a DOER. Not just a doer, but a dreamer, and THEN a doer. He built one of my most favorite places on Earth. Aww yeah… the Happiest Place on Earth, you know it!

I stopped making resolutions when Ali inspired me to do One Little Word each year. Rather than setting myself up to fail with a long list of want-tos for the year, I have one word that I can focus on, and keep at the forefront of my mind. One word that will influence decisions and stare at me throughout the day. One word that will be a reminder, a kind of nagging little voice in my head, telling me what I need to work on and what will move me forward as a person. I prayed about it, thought about it, and really took it to heart for a couple of weeks, and there it is.

ACTION for 2012.

What is your word for the year, what are you going to focus on for 2012? If you’re making resolutions, what are your goals, what are your resolutions, and what do you want to make HAPPEN in 2012?