For inspiration all year long, just pick a word!
If you’ve never picked a Word of the Year, it’s time!
The idea is to find a central word or theme to guide your intentions and your actions as you embark on the New Year and beyond.
Forget New Year’s resolutions, choosing a Word of the Year will allow you to focus on reaching your goals in a more holistic and mindful way.
First things first!
Download your FREE Word of the Year List right now.
Here are five simple steps to finding your Word of the Year.
1. Ask Yourself
Grab a sheet of paper and write down the answers:
What are my goals for the year?
What are my current challenges?
What do I love?
Who do I want to be?
What are my worst fears?
What’s my best habit?
What energizes me?
What offends me?
What was my greatest success this year?
What do I want more of?
How can I be better at __________?
Who are the people most important to me?
What do I enjoy the most?
Where do I see myself next year at this time?
What do I want less of in my life?
What do I want to accomplish this year?
2. Reflect
Now that you’ve waded through the “ask yourself” questions, it time to reflect on the answers.
Don’t worry about the how or the steps you’ll take to get there. Forget all that. Right now just ask yourself why.
The goal is to consider honestly, why you answered as you did.
Why do you enjoy snowshoeing?
Why do you want to eat out less and cook at home more often?
Why was publishing your first article online your greatest success this year?
After you’ve considered the why, write down the themes that have emerged from your reflection time.
I know, another list, but you’re almost there.
3. Brainstorm
Now spend about 10 minutes considering the themes that have emerged.
What direction are the themes going?
What moments are they suggesting?
What problems are they solving?
If you want, embrace all the spontaneity that brainstorming implies by creating a mind map or gathering your items into a list.
With these ideas in mind, read the Word of the Year list and circle the words that strike you!
4. Visualize Your Best Self
Now, set the lists aside for a moment.
What is the best version of yourself? Who is that person?
Picture yourself . . . taking charge of your morning ritual.
You . . . meditating daily.
You . . . volunteering at the homeless shelter.
You . . . starting your own business and quitting the 9 to 5.
Whatever your best self is, close your eyes and get a solid image of that person in your head.
Don’t think about getting there, see yourself as if you’re already there.
What are you wearing? Where are you at? What do you see? What people are you with? How does it feel?????
I honestly believe it’s the feeling part that’s most important here.
What does it feel like to be that best version of you? Do you feel powerful? Accomplished? Independent?
You might be getting close to realizing your Word of the Year!
With the details of your best self fresh in your mind, read the word list and consider the ones that resonate with you.
5. Sort It Out
Now that you’ve asked, reflected, brainstormed, and visualized, you’re ready to narrow your list.
Take all of the words you’re sitting on and, yes, make a final list.
Narrow this list to the top three choices.
Here’s how to choose:
Read each word and ask yourself: am I interested in this word or committed to this word?
Find a word you can commit yourself to for 365 days.
Ready? Set? Go!
You got this!
It’s time to choose your Word of the Year.
It’s time to make this year different!
Wait! Help!!
Now that I have a Word of the Year, what the heck do I do with it?
You can do anything you want with it but just remember this isn’t about checking things off your to-do list.
This is about doing what it takes to be the best version of yourself. It’s about bringing more balance, joy, and center to your life. It’s about not making excuses. It’s about not relying on effort.
This word is your choice. It represents the improved you. It’s your compass.
Write it in your journal.
Put it on a post-it and stick it on your frig.
Make it the screensaver for your computer.
Here’s what I do with my Word of the Year.
I make it the focal point of my vision board. Yes, I’m one of those people . . . I create a vision board every December and I plop my Word of the Year smack dab in the center of it.
You know all of those reflecting and brainstorming lists you made? Use them to create your vision board.
Use the words you came up while visualizing your best self to create your board. I write down titles I want to have, places I want to work, people I want to meet. I add quotes and inspiration, pictures and words.
For 2019 my word was “grow.” I knew I’d be completing graduate school, sitting for my certification exam, and starting a new job. I added pictures of nurse practitioners and nurse writers. I included my life mission statement and vision.
For 2020 my word was “reflect” and for 2121 my word was “align.”
I think you get the picture . . .
I make my vision board a part of my daily routine.
Every morning I set an intention for the day and my Word of the Year helps me focus. Don’t judge me here, but if you don’t set an intention for the day, you may be wasting your day.
With my vision board in front of me, I start reviewing my mission and vision statements.
I visualize my life and myself at it’s absolute best by closing my eyes and seeing me in that moment of accomplishment and success. I feel what it feels like. I see what it looks like.
I end with a moment of gratitude . . . I flip on over to my gratitude journal and write ONE LINE of gratitude for the day.
I make it part of my monthly routine.
Every month I review–once again–my career goals, my financial goals, my health goals, my writing goals, and my personal goals.
My Word of the Year plays a vital role as part of my monthly goal check.
This is what I review:
Goal achieved vs. in progress?
Is the goal on-course? Does it need to be tweaked?
Does the goal still align with my core values, vision, and mission?
Do my goals still align with my Word of the Year?
For example, back in 2019 my word of the year was “grow” and one of my growing goals was to get out of debt. Thank goodness I didn’t wait until 2020 to work on that goal….oh my.
My monthly financial goals reflected my action points: read a book on financial success (learning how to handle my finances is growth), set up monthly automated payments from my checking to my debtor (automating my payments was something I had never done=growth), and research investment options for money I had left over (learning about something I had never done before=more growth.)
Use your Word of the Year to direct your annual and monthly goals.
Use your Word of the Year to direct any part of your life.
Cheers for an amazing year ahead!
Questions about your Word of the Year? Leave me a comment!
