Choosing Your Word Of The Year

January is a great time for new beginnings and setting your intentions for the year ahead.  One of the best ways to set your intentions for the year ahead is to pick a word of the year.  This word should empower you to achieve your goals.  Here are five steps to help you in choosing your word of the year.

Dream

Give yourself permission to dream.  Close your eyes and just allow your mind to run wild.  Visualize the year ahead and what amazing things you want to make happen.  Nothing is too big or too small.  See who you’re with, what you’re doing, and most of all, how you’re feeling.  Take the next few minutes to get in touch with your hopes, goals, dreams, and aspirations for this year.

Vision

Next, write down what you saw in your vision.  Write down what sorts of things you want to achieve and how you were feeling in your vision.  Maybe you felt proud, accomplished, excited, happy, etc.  Think about what it would take for you to achieve those things and feel that way.  Consider how you would need to show up in the world and act differently.  See what future version of you that you would need to step into in order to achieve those things.  Decide who you would need to be this year to achieve your goals.

Word

Then, choose a word that empowers you to take the actions necessary to be and feel the way you need to be able to achieve your goals.  This word should inspire and motivate you.  Go with your gut instinct when choosing your word of the year.  It doesn’t have to be an excruciating process.  Write down a few words that sound good.  Then, envision what that word means to you by how you would show up and act using that word as motivation this year.

Meaning

The word you choose should be meaningful and will keep you focused on your desired outcome.  Use this word a driving motivation for the year ahead.  It can almost be your reason why you want to achieve your goals because you’ll show up and feel a certain way.  Choose a meaningful word that you’ll keep at the forefront of your mind that will help you live more intentionally throughout the year.

Reminders

Lastly, commit to your word of the year by creating a background for your phone where you can see your word daily.  Maybe you want to add it to the cover of your planner.  You might place it on your bathroom mirror.  Perhaps you could stick a note on the visor of your car.  Find places where you can put your word so you see it as a daily reminder of how you want to show up and be in the world this year.

Now you’ve set your intentions for the year by getting clear on what you want to achieve and how you’ll need to show up to achieve the goals you’ve set.  Next, choose a word that’s going to inspire and motivate you to make this year your best year yet!  You’ve got some amazing things ahead of you.  Keep your word at the forefront of your mind by placing reminders of your word everywhere so that you can accomplish all that you’ve set out to achieve this year.