Embrace a New Approach to the New Year: Choose a Word-of-the-Year Instead of a Resolution
This year, instead of a New Year’s resolution, try something different and pick a word-of-the-year instead!
As the year draws to a close and New Year’s resolutions start to flood our thoughts, many people are rethinking their usual approach to self-improvement. If the idea of setting resolutions feels overwhelming, unmotivating, or unattainable, LifeWays encourages you to try something different: a Word-of-the-Year.
This alternative to traditional resolutions encourages a more reflective, less pressure-filled approach to the year ahead. Instead of committing to a list of specific goals with measurable outcomes, the Word-of-the-Year approach focuses on a single word that embodies the mindset and intentions for the year.
Unlike resolutions, which often carry heavy expectations, the Word-of-the-Year is about creating a guiding theme that resonates with your values and aspirations. The goal is to choose a word that captures how you want to live in the upcoming year, fostering a deeper connection to your intentions and values.
“Choosing a Word-of-the-Year helps people reflect on their goals, well-being, and the areas of their lives that could use improvement,” said Jessica Tucelli, Director of Access Services at LifeWays. “The word serves as a mantra that can guide decisions, inspire growth, and motivate individuals throughout the year. It’s a more sustainable way to foster positive change, without the pressure often associated with resolutions.”
How to Choose Your Word-of-the-Year
Reflect on Joy and Fulfillment: Take a moment to write down the activities or experiences from the past year that made you feel happiness, joy, or contentment. What sparked enthusiasm? What would it take to feel that way all the time?
Assess Areas for Growth: Consider the parts of your life where you would like to improve. What causes you anxiety or stress? What areas feel stagnant or unfulfilling, such as work, school, or relationships?
Tune In to Your Well-being: Pay attention to your physical and mental health. How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? What would you like to improve in your daily routine or self-care practices?
By taking the time to reflect on these questions, you can choose a word that resonates with your deeper desires for the year ahead.
SAMPLE WORD-OF-THE-YEAR
GROWTH
A person may choose growth as their word-of-the-year if they are feeling stuck in their life, either professionally or personal or both.
Keep in mind, a person may choose a word-of-the-year without any real expectation or plans for how they will achieve that concept in the next year, and that’s okay!
A person who chooses growth, may not know what they will do to produce that growth and change in their life. But just choosing to use growth as their mantra for the year helps to open their mind to making choices in their life that leads to growth.
Eventually, after choosing growth, that person may start to see opportunities for growth all around them. All it takes now is to decide if that opportunity will be an opportunity for growth they want to take.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR PICKING
YOUR WORD-OF-THE-YEAR:
Write down the things that made you feel joy, goodness, or happiness in the past year. What do you get enthusiastic to do? What would it take to feel this way all the time?
Next, think about the parts of your life you would like to improve. What causes you anxiety? Does work or school make you feel bored? How are your interpersonal relationships?
Finally, check in with your body. How is your health? How is your mental health? How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? How do you feel throughout the day?
NEED SOME IDEAS TO
GET YOU STARTED?
Words of reflection: awareness, awe, breathe, pause, reset, gratitude, resilience, optimism, focus
Words of change: reset, renew, nourish, energize, growth, recharge, evolve, bloom, adventure, travel
Words of connection: relate, reconnect, experience, balance, engage, cherish, comfort, listen