A Word of the Year is a great alternative to traditional New Year’s resolutions.
Hello all! Happy New Year!!
Yep, it’s that time of the year when everyone begins to make all kinds of goals and resolutions for the new year…many which unfortunately will be forgotten come mid-February. Sound familiar? That used to be me for many years. But no more!! This year I am again choosing to use a Word of the Year instead of making traditional resolutions.
This approach worked soooo much better for me last year. My word last year was CREATE…and halfway through the year it was still guiding my actions, choices, and intentions. You can read about that midyear update here.
In case you are new to this approach, a word of the year is a word carefully and thoughtfully chosen by you that reflects your intentions for the coming year… how you want to live your life. What you want to do or accomplish. Who you want to become. What you want more of in your life. What areas you are seeking to improve upon.
Your word of the year serves as a guide for your goals, actions and decisions and helps you to be more intentional in the way you live your life. It helps you keep what’s most important to you in the forefront of your thoughts as you go about your daily life. It becomes your mantra for the year.
Yet sometimes what seems like such an easy task -choosing a word that you want to focus on – can actually become complicated rather quickly. Mostly because we make it so. We overthink it. We get caught up in trying to find that ONE perfect word. (Hint: there is no such thing as the perfect word). We just can’t decide.
Does that sound familiar? That was me earlier too. If you are in need of some help choosing a word then you’re in the right place. I’m sharing some tips that worked for me. I bet they will help you too!!
Tips For Choosing a Word of the Year
Ask yourself these questions
Begin by thinking about where you are now in your life and where you would like to be at the end of this year. Ask yourself these questions:
- What do I want more of in my life? What do I want less of?
- What do I hope to accomplish this year?
- What qualities do I want to develop or improve?
- What things am I struggling with right now?
List words that come to mind
Then reflect upon your answers to these questions. What words come to mind? Jot them down. Think of related words and add them to your list.
Need some inspiration or ideas to jump start your thinking? Download this free printable Word of the Year Ideas here.
Narrow Down Your Options
Narrow down your possible choices…perhaps 3-5 words. Use a thesaurus to find related words. I also suggest using a dictionary to find the meaning of the words. You may find that the definition often helps to clarify things for you. But take a look at a couple of different sources for the definition since the wording may be different. That’s what I did for my word last year and I found a meaning that really resonated with me.
Then try out the words. Say them out loud. Think about them for a day or two. Perhaps even a week. Consider how these words reflect what you want to see in your life in the coming year. What goals and actions might this word inspire you to do?
Claim Your Word !
Once you have decided on YOUR word of the year write it out along with it’s meaning. Post it where you will see it every.single.day.
Then declare it out loud!!! This year I will ________… (fill in your word)!
Can I change my word?
Absolutely!! Don’t be surprised if the word you’ve chosen as “your” word changes as you really get into the process of self-reflection. This is okay!!! I changed my word three times before making my final choice.
At first it was GROW. I felt like a lot of little seeds had been planted last year and I wanted them to grow. Then one morning I glanced at my half-dead plants and I sadly realized that I have never been successful at growing things. Hmmm…. so maybe that’s not the best choice.
So then I changed it to CULTIVATE, a similar word. I liked the definition I found – To promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop…really my goals) by labor and attention. That was my word for awhile. Until I became so exasperated one day because I had all these undone, unfinished projects all around me…and I felt pulled in so many directions I didn’t know what to do first…I kept losing my focus.
That’s when it hit me!! FOCUS. That’s what I need in my life at this time – FOCUS!!!! And that’s my word now… something I was struggling with for a few months and really need to improve. So third time’s the charm I guess.
And guess what?!?! Your word isn’t carved in stone!! It isn’t permanent either.
If you find later on during the year that your word no longer fits you at this point in your life it’s okay to change it!! I’m thinking that mine will change at some point this year as I get better at focusing.
What if I’m torn between two words?
So you’re having a hard time deciding between two words. Well, there are several things you could do. Spend a little more time reflecting on what you truly need at this time in your life. Think about which word best fits with your current season of life? Are you expecting a baby this year? Are you home with little ones? Making a major move or career change? Facing an illness? Becoming an empty nester? Starting a new job? Retiring? Which word fits with your needs at this moment in time? Then choose that word.
Another idea is to focus on one word for part of the year, say 3-6 months, and then spend the remaining months focusing on the other word. Or you could just choose both of them. There’s really no wrong way to do this.
Here’s the bottom line….
There is no ONE perfect word out there. In truth there are quite a few that you can make work for you – that probably fit your circumstances and needs at this stage of your life.
And in reality YOU can make most any word work for you. I could have made GROW or CULTIVATE work for me…they still fit in with my goals and intentions for this year. But at this time I felt FOCUS was a better fit.
And if your chosen word no longer fits, you can change it!! Yep! Whether it’s February or September.
Don’t let the quest of finding the perfect word keep you from moving forward!!
Repeat after me. DONE is better than perfect!
So what’s your word for this year?
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~ Sherry
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