I’m mildly but vocally goal-averse. I prefer more of a vibes-based approach to planning and goal-setting. Think vision boards and cute little goal punch cards. Last year, I made a bingo card filled with small, low-stakes goals. And since 2020, I’ve partaken in an evergreen annual ritual: choosing a word for the year.
I’m not super woo-woo about it, but I have to admit that the words tend to pop up in slightly…magical ways.
In early 2020, I chose the word Abundance. A few weeks later, I was out to lunch with a friend, and a kitchen snafu resulted in a waiter bringing me three full entrees and multiple sides instead of the one meal I had ordered. Plates covered every inch of the table. Okay, I thought. Abundance, indeed.
Of course, 2020 did not exactly rise to the occasion, and I decided I would skip choosing a word in 2021. Until, while driving home one day, I noticed the vanity plate on the vehicle in front of me: Enough. Fine, I thought, to God or the universe. It was a suitable word for the year — perhaps the only suitable word.
This year, I considered multiple words before settling on Whimsy. It’s a complex word with few direct synonyms but many related concepts: joy, fun, play, magic, spontaneity, impulse, delight, eccentricity, surprise, lightness. I chose it because I want to experience more of all of those things. I also like how whim can mean a sudden, unexplained desire or impulse. As a chronic overthinker, I need to follow more whims.
Once I choose a word, I start looking for it. And it didn’t take long to find whimsy.
I was visiting with other guests at my nephew's first birthday party in January when a man I didn’t recognize walked in. I figured he was an in-law I hadn’t met yet, but then I noticed his rainbow waistcoat and many-pocketed apron stuffed with…
Balloons.
For the next hour, this professional balloon artist delighted us with his whimsical creations: swords, flowers, hats, and all manner of colorful critters. He made me a corsage:
Talk about kicking off the year in the most whimsical way possible!
And I want to keep the whimsy going. Here are some ideas:
Read a children’s book, even (or especially) if you don’t have kids. I’m currently reading The Railway Children, a British classic that’s new to me, and I’m planning to reread Ella Enchanted, a favorite from my childhood.
Rearrange a room or decorate. Buy a plant or hang that piece of art you thrifted ages ago.
Play a board game or video game you enjoyed as a youngster. Or try a new one!
Get an old-timey candle holder. My husband got this one at IKEA, and it cracked me up when he shut off the lights and carried it around. I called it Scroogemaxxing. (He’s great at embracing whimsy.)
Watch a whimsical movie. I recommend Stardust or Spirited Away.
Make a zine. (I really want to do this.)
Learn a silly joke to tell your friends! Here’s one of my favorites: What’s the difference between a dirty bus stop and a crab with boobs? One’s a crusty bus station, and the other is a busty crustacean.
A note: It can feel weird and wrong to lean into joy and whimsy when there’s a load of horrible shit going on in the world. In her most recent snail mail newsletter (a very whimsical project), my friend Rachel quoted a poem by Jack Gilbert: “We must risk delight.”
We must risk whimsy. We must risk joy. It’s what makes life worth living.
I might as well end by introducing Sammy, my most recent way of risking delight and my new font of whimsy. (And the reason this email is going out after 8pm, lol)
Sammy is a 10-week-old Australian Shepherd and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. He’s my first dog! I’m 6 days into a wild ride that, Lord willing, will last 12-15 years. Bringing him into my family means risking expense, mess, inconvenience, and eventually, heartbreak. But it also means joy and companionship and love.
And isn’t that what makes life worth living?
See you next week,
Kara
Kara Detwiller is a writer and creative based in small-town Saskatchewan. She specializes in long-form content writing for enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, and manufacturing clients. She is also working on her first novel, among other creative pursuits. To connect, reply to this email or find Kara on LinkedIn.
Why Wishful Working? I want to help people thrive in a world obsessed with work and productivity. Together, we’re expanding the definition of productivity, rediscovering life balance, and exploring the many kinds of work that make life possible.
