Word of the Year

Every December, as part of my personal year-end process (which includes reflecting on the year that just happened and thinking ahead regarding the upcoming one), I come up with a word (sometimes a phrase) that becomes my theme for the upcoming year. The focal word is top-of-mind for the entire year and is usually something I want to embody in both my personal and professional life. I have been doing this exercise for a decade now. I put in a fair bit of effort deciding on the word and most years, it has a profound impact on the outcomes of the year. 

My word for 2024 was “Cut”.

At first glance, the word “cut” sounds bleak and pessimistic, but the idea was to be ruthless about cutting out activities or things, whether temporarily or permanently, to make room for things better aligned with my top priorities. The main catalyst for this was the birth of my daughter in late 2023 (which was easily the most incredible and profound experience of my life so far). My first priority became wanting to be a present and loving mother. The second was my business, so I knew everything else had to take a backseat, at least for now. I knew I had to make changes in order to ensure what I was doing day-to-day and where I was spending my time aligned with these priorities. I also knew deep down that there were certain things we were doing at Threads that, while looking good on the surface, were more froth than substance (certain marketing efforts, revenue streams, etc.). I had delayed making a decision on these activities previously, most likely for fear of change or discomfort. I knew these things had to go, in order to make room for better things. Reflecting on the year, I am happy to say most of these “cuts” were for the best. I will note that some of them were for the best at the time, but I’m not necessarily happy about them (for example, fitness and travel really took a backseat this year), so I will focus on weaving them back into my life in 2025.

My word for 2025 is “Strength”. 

There are a few applications for this word. One of my priorities this year is to build muscle and get back to my strength and fitness levels from before pregnancy. This year with Threads, I’d like to prioritize channeling and investing in our brand’s unique strengths (e.g. our highly loyal customer community), instead of always chasing ways to improve where I think we’re weaker. My operator mindset going into this year is also stronger than ever before: I am more confident in my own ability to “figure it out” than I ever have been. 

I’m looking forward to seeing how this year shakes out. It should be a fun one. I’ll report back in December 2025!

P.S. My previous words/phrases of the year for the last decade are below: 

2023: Nourish
2022: Present
2021: Dig
2020: Consistency 
2019: Sponge
2018: Challenge 
2017: Wellness 
2016: Say yes