Choosing A Word Of The Year
“The words you speak become the house you live in.” -Hafiz
Welcome to a new year!
You made it! You survived! Or thrived! But most importantly, you’re here – still standing, and maybe even feeling some lightness and positivity stirring.
Turning the page on another year is a natural time of reflection, celebration, and looking with optimism and hope to the year ahead. It’s perfect for thinking about how we want to show up in the world, who we want to be, and how we want to feel and be of service.
Today I want to talk about something I’ve done the last few years that’s made a huge difference in my life.
Choosing a word of the year.
As someone who made looong lists of rigid resolutions for myself EVERY SINGLE NEW YEAR for years upon years, only to fail and bail on most of them by March, I absolutely LOVE choosing a word each year to guide me.
WHY choose a word of the year…
Your word of the year can take the place of New Year’s resolutions. While resolutions can feel like an inflexible checklist of dos and don’ts (do-or-die, all-or-nothing), a word of the year gives you an overarching theme to work with; a constant gentle reminder to focus on positive change.
And while I’m not personally a fan of resolutions, I’m absolutely a fan of setting goals! Goals are a great way to give ourselves direction using intention setting, planning, preparation, and action. They give you something to work toward, and if you haven’t reached it by the end of the year, guess what? You can celebrate all the progress you made and keep at it – unlike a resolution where you’ve simply failed if you didn’t tick it off the list by the end of December.
If you have intentions or priorities you’d like to focus on in different areas of your life (business, self-care, parenting…), a word of the year is a beautiful way to weave it all together
HOW to choose a word…
1. REFLECT: The first step to manifesting anything is awareness and intention, so take plenty of time to ask yourself what you need. Pay attention to any words or themes that have been appearing in your life.
2. BRAINSTORM: Write down your goals and intentions. List what you want to focus on this year. Look for a common theme that connects them all.
3. LIST WORDS: Make a list of words you think would work.
4. NARROW IT DOWN: Choose a few words from your list that feel the most motivational and inspiring. Which words embody how you want to be, think, and feel?
1. If you’ve got a few words that are close, but not quite “it”, break out the thesaurus (possibly my favorite thing in the whole wide world!) and see if you can find a word that nails it.
2. Consider the type of word: verbs promote action (play, trust, simplify), adjectives describe a way of being (light, present, fearless), and nouns are really concrete (home, family, connection).
3. Cluster words: If you just can’t narrow it down to one word, you can do a cluster of a few related words. For example, maybe your word of the year is replenish. You might then have two or three supporting words in your cluster like: heal, rest, rejuvenate. Or another example: Mindful (breathe, aware, present).
5. DON’T OVERTHINK IT: Sometimes it can take a while for just the right word to come to you. That’s okay – give it all the time it needs.
“In our thoughts and words, we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts.”
-Betty Eadie
WHAT to do next…
Now that you’ve got your word (or cluster of words), you’ll want to keep it top of mind.
You can do this by writing your word in prominent places like the bathroom mirror, in your daily planner or journal. You can even design a background for your cellphone or computer that features your word. Any place you’ll see it and be reminded of what you’re inviting in and working for is perfect.
Your word only has to be meaningful to you, and you can keep it all to yourself if you like. However, some folks love accountability and sharing their aspirations with friends or family. If that’s you, tell someone trusted about your word and ask them to check in with you about it from time to time.
I can’t wait to see the beautiful words you choose. Leave a comment and let me know what you come up with!
My Words of the Year
2021: Radiate
2020: Sovereignty
2019: Soften
2018: Possibility
