New Year, New Words

New Year New Words

 

Each December as the year is ending I make a promise to myself. This year, I want to expand my vocabulary in the coming months. There are calendars with a word of the day or week. There are various programs and challenges to help me with my endeavor. However, I think I will put a new spin on an old challenge. There are some words I would like to un-learn.

Is un-learning even possible?

If it takes thirty days to create a habit, then why not make the habit un-learning a few words? In thirty days, can I change parts of my vocabulary so I sound more eloquent, less rough around the edges, or more professional? The challenge is something I can track through my journaling. Then, another thought pops into my head.

What if I could get a few friends to commit to un-learning some of the words we use on a regular basis? Some of this has already been done for us, due to the political correctness of certain things. I once thought words were just words. Now I understand their power. They can cripple and belittle. They can bring down walls and build them up again. Words can be used to build lives and just as quickly destroy them.

With all the things surrounding this project, I need to make an action plan.

First, I must list ten to twenty words I would like to forget. Clearly, for myself, anything I may say which is inappropriate or considered an expletive will be at the top of this list. I also must remember this list will probably evolve as the process continues.

Next, I would like to quit saying buzz words or phrases. I want my voice to sound unique. I want to personify the individual God made me to be. I need to stop sounding like everyone else. To do this, I may need a few replacement terms- so to the thesaurus I go.

Finally, how to implement the plan. I am not sure how successful I will be, but one thing I can do is remove words from the dictionary on my phone. Did you know this could be done? I accidentally removed a couple of heavily used words once. It was a mistake worth making. I already started a list of words to post where I will see them every day- with a red line through them. I am hoping I will remember they are “red-lined” whenever they begin their escape from my lips or keyboard.

While I take on this challenge, I would like for you to consider it as well. Maybe we can make some positive changes in our vocabulary. We might even learn something together.

What are your New Years Resolutions or Goals?