The New Year’s resolution has been around for a very long time. We don’t actually know when the first resolution took place, but we know that the Babylonians were the first known people to celebrate the new year. After nearly 3,600 years, we have continued this tradition, though things have changed. Way back then, they celebrated it in mid March and it was an eleven-day celebration. Now, we do it to bring in January and it is only one night. Where did we lose the other ten days? While we don’t know the answer to that, we do know that one thing is certain, and that is that we are coming up on our deadline for our New Year’s resolution.
When thinking about a new year's resolution, my first bit of advice is to switch it up this year. Yes, I said it. Instead of a New Year’s resolution, I want you to define your 2023 with one word. This one word is your intention for the entire year, much like a resolution. The plus side is, however, that while resolutions often fail in the first month, a declaration of intent for the new year is bound to hold a little more accountability with you. That is because you likely have thought long and hard about a word that can describe the journey you plan for yourself in the new year.
Planning a word of the year helps bring focus and clarity to what we want to manifest in our lives. The new year brings a time that we can start fresh and stay motivated as we move toward the many goals of the year, but doing so with intent. This gives you so much power, as every action you have will have intention behind it, giving it more meaning. It is also a gentle reminder to stay on course toward that goal rather than the stress of sticking to a strict action plan.
So what intention do you have for 2023?
That can be a loaded question. This isn’t about marking a goal off of your checklist, but rather giving yourself a mantra that will be the theme for the entire year. These three steps will give you an idea of your theme for the year.
Step 1: Reflect on your previous year to find empowerment.
Reflection is a must, as upon reflecting, you may be able to get a better sense of direction on where you would like to go. Ask yourself what your year was like and how you feel about it. That reflection will likely help you visualize about where you would like to be. What focus would you like for the next year? If you reflected and you picked up on some hard times, rough emotions, or simply just some stagnant energy, what could you focus on in the next year to truly empower you.
Step 2: Find your word.
This step may be hard or it may be easy. The easiest way to go through this step is to define your empowerment journey that you have ahead of you. Wherever your focus is, list some words that define that and also promote action. When you say that word, you should be able to feel the empowerment and visualize your focus.
Step 3: Feel that empowerment.
Look, this next year is YOUR year. Every year, you have an opportunity to learn and grow. This year is no different. Feel it and own it. Your word of the year is going to help define and refine your year.
This last year, my word was structure. It felt right to know that what I was doing was building structure in myself and in my business. This year, my focus is communication. Communication is a very important journey for me right now. I have learned in this last year that it is what I need most in many different aspects of life. Sitting with the word, I feel many different emotions when I bring up communication, and I know that this only means it is time to become aware of communication in my life, and to work on it.
Choose your word and own it! Happy New Year!
