How A Single Word Can Change Your Life

Dec 30, 20184 min read

How many of us start thinking new years resolutions come this time of the year … if not resolutions we set intentions for the year ahead. They usually begin with internal questioning, maybe feelings of melancholy at the end of yet another busy year, maybe feeling a bit low and depressed about a lack of action over the past 12 months, the months just flew by and didn’t quite go as planned … well, friends, that’s life!

Ever said that this is MY year! I’m going to …

look after myself this year
spend more time with my friends and family
have more fun
earn more money
lose that stone that’s been hanging around for too many years …

And then found success in all of the above?

Very few … in fact around 5% of us actually do what we have intended to do.

Imagine my joy when I came across this amazing idea …

Word-of-the-Year!

This is perfect !!

If like me you are soooo over the thought of new years resolutions, that never really come to fruition because we forget about them or set unrealistic expectations or don’t take the process seriously, you’ll love this idea.

Word-of-the-Year has become a game-changer for many. Christine Kane is the CEO and founder of a coaching company called Uplevel You. She says that she wasn’t the first to do it or come up with it. But may have been one of the first to share it.

“I don’t know. I just know it works – not just for me, but for many others like me.” read more here

So I figured if it works for all these amazing people .. it’ll work for me ..

In essence, we choose a word that resonates with us and we make it our word of the year … here’s the thing.

Choosing a word isn’t magic. Results won’t just happen because we pick a word and then sit back waiting for things to happen … quite the opposite. The word to choose is the word that brings energy to our situation and then allow it to guide us as we engage with it, think about it and take action based on it.

We choose the word … one word … but how?

This is how Christine does it …

Just one word. That’s all. Then, hold that word in your mind throughout the year, and let your word guide you to take action. For instance, let’s say you want to make a resolution to lose 20 pounds, and to change jobs. Rather than say, “I resolve to lose 20 pounds and get a better job,” (which can be somewhat overwhelming) you might sit with this thought for a little while. Write in your journal. Maybe then you would recognize that you’ve been scared to look for another job because there might not be something out there, and maybe you’ve been overeating to stuff down the fears that come up and the feelings of insecurity. So, instead of making resolutions – which do little to inspire you – you choose the word “courage.” Courage then becomes what guides you. Each day you focus on that word. When you don’t want to go to the gym, you don’t berate yourself with the threat of your resolution. Instead, you motivate yourself with your word. “Courage.” You say it aloud to remind yourself. And you go because learning how to not be scared of change is exciting to you. The word then builds on itself. You might decide to take a yoga class even though the skinny yoga girls have always scared you. You might find that you have a little more energy with each new thing you try. Maybe this energy motivates you to call an old friend in your field and let her know you are looking for another job. Courage becomes the guiding force, not the harsh standard. (And WAY better for you than a pound of bacon and four eggs for breakfast, too!)

So here goes … the idea is to choose a word that resonates with you.

Here is a list of a list of possible words, see if one stands out for you. Just choose one.

Love, Clarity, Freedom, Compassion, Gratefulness, Change, Creativity, Generosity, Courage, Appreciation, Power, Certainty, Growth, Development, Abundance, Longevity, Kindness, Focus, Presence, Health, Wealth, Knowledge, Acceptance, Forgiveness, Hope, Happiness, Fun, Resourceful, Peace, Wisdom, Patience, Trusting, Release, Revive, Grace, Humour, Adventure, Friendship, Laughter, Awareness, Gentleness, Healing, Action, Persuasion, Discipline, Open-Minded, Accepting, Joyful, Exploring, Discovery, Unwrapping, Beauty, Respect, Self-Awareness, Openness, Visionary.

Have you got one?

Then hold it in your mind …

And head on over to the discovery tool that Christine has designed it’s awesome & really useful !! I have downloaded the PDF for you so click the image, or go here.

Let me know what your word of the year is … and HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

I’ll check back and see how you are getting on in a few months.

My word of the year is: THRIVE – because its what I need to do to contribute to the world in a meaningful way. There is a post in this so keep your eyes peeled. (The other two words I was considering were, Happiness and Execute. Both of these will help me thrive and likewise, when I thrive I’m happy because I’ve executed. So chicken and egg for me but I feel the best word for me today is THRIVE)

So where to from here … ??

ACTION STEP #1: SHARE YOUR WORD, with someone, on social media and explain why.

ACTION STEP #2: GET ENCOURAGEMENT, find an accountability buddy, share your word and why and then hold each other accountable.

ACTION STEP #3: POST YOUR WORD, somewhere you’ll see every day. This is your guiding word for the year, see it, believe it, do it.

Good luck !!