Momentum: My One Word for 2021

Many people choose one word as a guide for the year. I’ve done this for the last few years. I’ve had Confident Action (yes technically two words but I felt I needed both), Now & Connection. This year my one word is Momentum.

Momentum speaks of action and movement. To me it’s about moving forward or movement in the right direction. I keep thinking of a pendulum – how it takes momentum to start it but the momentum also keeps it going.

Momentum Defined

Momentum

quantity of motion of a moving body, … , impetus gained by movement.

The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary, 1976

Dictionary.com talks about “force or speed of movement”. The word moment is also in the word Momentum. In fact the word moment comes from the Latin mõmentum “motion, cause of motion” (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/moment). For me choosing the word momentum is about acting in the moment or choosing to do in the moment. This in the moment action then leads to momentum. Momentum takes drive, force or power. It’s about an act or movement of will.

Momentum leads to more momentum

On a Facebook group that I’m part of someone was sharing about reading in the book “Get It Done When You’re Depressed” by Julie A Fast and John D Preston that you could do things even when you’re not in the mood to do them. This is partly why I’ve chosen the word “Momentum” it’s about taking a step or keeping momentum even when I’m not in the mood. Often acting or taking the first step helps you get in the mood. Once you’ve started it’s easier to keep the momentum going.

Also, last year I learnt and read a bit about how it’s easy to keep moving rather than come to a stop and start again. This also impacted on choosing my word. I could have chosen movement or action but decided momentum summed up more what I wanted to remember.

I have lots of dreams and plans but then I can find it hard to act on them. I’ve been learning that to even take just one small step can start the momentum and help keep me going. This post was originally drafted when I was using a time I’d set aside for writing. I just committed to writing for 20-30 mins. Doing this gave me a good draft that I could come back to later. So having a plan and then taking a small step can lead to momentum.

Momentum: One Word, One Verse

Late last year when I was still deciding if momentum was going to be my one word for 2021, I was reading Chase the Lion by Mark Batterson. He talked about choosing a verse to go with his word each year.

Then I also joined the One Word 2021 Facebook Group after reading about it a post from Healthy Spirituality. Lisa, the Coordinator of the Facebook Group, also asked if people had a verse that goes with their word. The verse I’ve chosen is Hebrews 12:1-2a “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”. I could have just used the one sentence about running with perseverance but decided to keep all of verse 1. To me it not only spoke of momentum but reminded me that I’m not alone and that I need to keep looking to Jesus.

I have chosen an image which I’ve added as the home screen on my phone and on my tablet. So every time I open these devices the verse comes up to remind me of my word for the year. Whilst looking for free images with clouds I remembered that I probably had a suitable image on my phone. I chose the image below because of the clouds but it also has movement in the picture with the ship and my husband surfing. The surfing image is also about momentum and perseverance.

Do you choose a word for the year? If so what word have you chosen for 2021?

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