New Year’s Day is on its way, and what does that mean? More new year resolutions that will likely end up getting forgotten or pushed aside because they are too hard, uninteresting, or irrelevant. Instead of placing a high-stakes goal on yourself for the new year, you can dismiss that pressure but instead choosing a word of the year. Today, I will go over what that means and how you can find that word.
What is a Word of the Year?
A word of the year is a singular concept that you choose to focus on as a priority in your life and business in the following year. This word will embody what you most want to work on and prioritize in your life to create greater success and happiness.
How Do I Find My Word?
To find the best word of the year for you, follow these 5 steps!
Step #1: Reflect on 2021
When you look back on 2021, how does it make you feel? I encourage you to answer the following questions:
How did I feel at the end of each day?
What words do I use most to describe my life?
Ex. I’m so _____
What do I wish I had more of in my life?
What do I wish I had less of in my life?
Step #2: Picture Your Ideal Days
With those above questions in mind, I want you to think about two different ideal days, a workday and a personal day, and answer the following:
What would an ideal workday look like?
How would you feel at the end of an ideal workday?
What about an ideal personal day?
How would you feel at the end of an ideal personal day?
What changes would you need to make to your life to achieve those ideal days?
Step #3: Perform a Brain Dump
Keeping both step #1 and step #2 in your head, I encourage you to grab a piece of paper and set a timer for 5 minutes. For the next five minutes, I want you to write down every word that comes to mind of something you want. Here are just a few words to get you started:
Body-Love
Honesty
Empower
Intuition
Joy
Compassion
Kindness
Present
Self-Care
Faith
Teach
Creativity
Step #4: Narrow the Choices
Did you get a good brain dump? Are you noticing any particular themes in your words? For example, an individual who wants to reduce stress in the coming year may see words like "relax," "recovery," "release," "wellness," "tranquil," and "renewal." Scope out your words and see what common themes you have (especially if you wrote the same word more than once.)
Now, I encourage you to narrow down the word to three choices and walk away for a bit. Come back to it tomorrow or next week if you need to complete the final step.
Step #5: Commit to a Word
Finding your word is just the first part of this journey because now you need to commit to it. Don't just go, "Oh, that's cool! All done!" No! Committing to your word means that you will take the time and effort to implement strategies to try and reach that word's meaning.
Can I Have More Than 1 Word?
I first learned about a word of the year from Danielle LaPorte, and she chooses three words each year. I love the idea of choosing a word for each section of my life, such as personal, business, and family. You can even create a core word like "abundant" and combine it with a sector word. Such as "abundant health" for personal, "abundant persistence" for business, and "abundant love" for family.
You can choose whatever method works best for you, as long as it actually works!
How to Incorporate My Word(s)?
Now that you have chosen your word(s), it is time to implement it. I recommend writing down this word wherever you look consistently to constantly remind you of it, like your phone background, your laptop screen, a sticky note on the bathroom mirror, a pretty note above your desk, etc.
Next, write out an action plan of little steps that you can take to make this word a reality in your life.
Then, follow those plans! Write them in your calendar, set reminders, etc. If your word of the year is “relax," then maybe you need to set aside 15 minutes each day to meditate or read a fun book.
Coaching with Me
As a life and business coach, I, too, incorporate a word of the year into my life to provide motivation and awareness. My 2021 word was "Relentless," and my new word for 2022 is going to be "Connection." It is my goal this year to "Connect" with you! If you need help with your personal or professional goals, I encourage you to reach out to me. You can book a free get-to-know-you call by clicking HERE.