Here we are, having survived yet another unprecedented, emotionally charged, ever evolving year.
Even before this pandemic, December was typically a busy month, prepping for the holidays and winding down at work before the years end. The whole month is a marathon of anticipation and by the end you're ready to slow down.
But wait…. Did you set those New Years Resolutions? Are you ready for this next year to be the best year of your life, to be the best version of yourself? How hard are you going to push to meet those goals? The pressure to make this upcoming year the best one yet cand feel like a lot. Did this happen to you this year?
I have never been very good at keeping the resolutions I set for myself and often I've assumed it was because I probably didn't want it that bad. When I reflect on some of my previous resolutions, I've definitely made them out of a place of lack. I set goals for creating a better me, because I assume that this version of me isn't good enough. Goals from lack often showed up in the form of needing to make my body "better"; I want to be a certain size, shape or worse, a number on a scale. Then I would run out the gates January 1st , full throttle to make this happen. I change everything about my lifestyle to meet this goal. Then I miss a class or session, I start to make excuses and eventually, its tossed aside. The negative inner critic gets on the mega phone and starts reminding me of my failures and how I must not care enough about myself to commit to the change.
This year I'm going to try something new; a word of the year. This word will represent and encompass the feeling I wish to have throughout this next phase of my journey. It will serve as gentle reminder about my priorities and help me refocus throughout the year. It will help to inform my relationships with myself, those around me and what I want to attract with each choice I make. It's such a hopeful and inspiring idea.
If you’ve never heard about this before, Ill outline a few ways to pick the word for you.
First, you're going to need to take some time to reflect on the previous year and ask yourself some questions:
What do I want more of in my life?
What could I do with less of in my life?
Most importantly, How do I want to feel?
Once you’ve reflected and reviewed, it's time to do some visualizing and brainstorming. Start compiling a list of any words that come to mind - no idea is off the table. Try out the words, how does it feel carry the word, does it bring with it energy and focus? Once you have the word, put it some where you see it each day. For me this looks like my phone lock screen as I know I'm going to see it many times a day. It could also be on your fridge, or bathroom mirror.It can go literally anywhere, just make sure its in your line of sight and in your mindset.
Hopefully it will bring you closer to alignment with your best self, help bring forward feelings you aspire to embrace each day and can help to inform the decisions you make.
On the flip side, consider the opposite of your chosen word. Although we aspire to embrace our word throughout the day, we will also have days when we aren't feeling it. That’s okay too. I often get swept away with the romanticized idea of being constantly happy because I don’t wanna feel sad. Yet in these shadow moments is where I grow the most. I am challenged to pivot and rise above. We can't avoid the uncomfortable, darker sides of happiness, so when you pick your bright inspiring word, give yourself permission to feel the uncomfortable parts of the process too.
Being my anxious self, I couldn’t narrow it down to one word because it felt too permanent so I gave myself two words: magnetic and celebrate. I want to attract more of what I desire; people, places, and ideas. I also want to focus on my successes no matter how big or small. Too often I overlook how much I've accomplished because I'm always looking ahead to the next thing. It's time to slow down and celebrate me and what I have completed.
I am aware its mid month already and like where was this idea in December right? But who says your new goals and themes needed to start January 1st anyway? Allow yourself this time to decompress from the year end and shift into a new beginning. Embrace this new year energy and start when you are ready!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this idea and if you decided to try it out. If you feel comfortable drop your word in the comments!
Cheers to a New Year & all the possibilities that await us!
Xo Dee
Adequate and grateful ❤️
I love this. I already have too many lists and goals in my professional life. Why make more? Great food for thought.