PICK A 2023 WORD-OF-THE-YEAR INSTEAD OF A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
This year, instead of a New Year’s resolution, maybe try something different and pick a word-of-the-year instead!
While everyone else is making New Year’s resolutions, you may be thinking:
“I don’t like New Year’s resolutions.”
“I never complete my New Year’s resolutions.”
“There is too much pressure in New Year’s resolutions.”
If this sounds familiar, this blog is for you.
The word-of-the-year thought process helps you to reflect on your values, intentions, and hopes for the new year.
Unlike the expectation-heavy resolutions with specific actions and quantifiable goals, you will simply choose a word that embodies your mind-set and goals for 2023. Your word-of-the-year should not be a broad statement (read more books), a specific achievement (finish a 5k), or a goal (drink less soda).
Instead, choose a single word that echoes how you want to live in 2023. Then, throughout the year, whenever you think of your word-of-the-year, it will push you toward the mind-set and goals you have.
Your word should reflect goals and intentions for the year, your idea for what well-being means to you and the areas of your life that could use improvement.
Lastly, the real value of the word-of-the-year is the thoughtful time that goes into choosing it. Take your time. Try a few words and settle on the one that will help you focus on the things that are most meaningful to you.
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