Word of the Year!

Do you feel pressure to set New Years resolutions? Do you set them, follow through for a few weeks, and then quit? Do you then feel badly because you “failed?” This happens to SO MANY PEOPLE.

I happened upon an incredibly useful antidote to this predictable system - one that has been helpful for me for almost a decade now. Instead of coming up with a specific resolution, I come up with a word that I’d like to focus on for the upcoming year. I think of it like a mission statement. When I need to make a decision, choose a project, decide where to put my focus, I run it through the filter of my Word of the Year. Does it help support or further that word?

It can be fun, exciting, and difficult to pick just one word. A successful WOTY is vague enough to be able to be generalized to many situations and areas in your life, but specific enough to give you some direction. It has multiple meanings, is significant to you, and has longevity and usefulness.

For example, my WOTY for 2017 was “build.” I had set up a practice, I had a lot of things in place, and really wanted to build them up and out. I wanted to build relationships, work on my home, and I was also wanting to work more with my hands. 2019 my word was “work.” I knew I just needed to put my nose to the grindstone and get things done. I wanted to work hard, but also choose what work was meaningful to me. I wanted to think about where I wanted to put my work energy.

This worksheet is designed to help you brainstorm and choose a word for the upcoming year!

Q1. When you first read about this idea, did a word pop into your head? Write that down.

Q2. What words would you use to describe this last year?

Q3. What do you want more of in the next year?

To get the full worksheet go here. To sign up for my email list to get all future worksheets, go here!