I was first introduced to the idea of choosing a word for the year, instead of making New Year’s resolutions, a number of years ago by Susannah Conway and have found doing so to be surprisingly effective. In her words:
“Choosing a word to act as a guiding light for the new year is a lovely way to bring some gentle intention to your year. I’ve always viewed New Year’s resolutions as a recipe for future guilt. “Get fit” sounds like a sensible goal to have, but it doesn’t feel very inspiring. In fact, it feels rather limiting. Choosing the word ENERGISED or even STRONG, on the other hand, affects me in a different way. It encourages me to make better choices. It empowers rather than orders.”
The last two sentences sum up precisely what it is that I have found to be so helpful about choosing one, overarching, word to guide me through the year. Doing so encourages better choices and empowers rather than orders. My word becomes like a personal mantra which, the more I bring to mind, the more it sinks into my subconscious and starts influencing my actions and decisions on a deeper level.
My word for 2016 is FOCUS. While it feels a more serious and intense word than those I’ve chosen previously (‘nourish’ and ‘nurture’ have been a couple) I think it’s the perfect choice for me this year as I am about to go back to full-time study to complete my Masters in Clinical Psychology. While I’m definitely not someone who wears being busy as a badge of honour, the reality is I have a busy year ahead of me. In addition to my studies I will continue running my hikes and meditation classes and I want to make sure that I make the best possible use of my time. The word FOCUS also happens to be the perfect word to help me keep my meditation practice on track!
One of the first things I did a few weeks ago, having chosen my word, was to purchase an old fashioned alarm clock to keep by my bed. I no longer need to use my phone as my alarm enabling me to keep my phone out of my bedroom. This seemingly change has cut out a noticeable amount of unfocused pre-sleep browsing!
If choosing a word for the year appeals to you*, or you have already chosen a word, it can also be helpful to ask yourself:
1. What would change for you if you regularly brought your word to mind?
2. How do you already experience your word?
3. What else can you do to bring more of your word into your life?
*If you’d like some guidance finding your word for the year there’s still time to sign up to Susannah Conway’s free ‘Find Your Word for 2016’ 5-day email course (I believe it’s available until the end of January so you still have a couple of days to sign up!).
