I’ve either made or broken more new years resolutions than anyone I know. From that experience, I can wholly appreciate why they don’t work. These resolutions are based on a list of tasks – do this and I will have this. Lose weight and I will be happy. They seem to be filled with ‘shoulds’ and we tend to lose interest in tasks we feel like we should do after just a few weeks.
Instead of these empty and uninspiring promises, I believe in setting intentions instead. An intention is a powerful reminder of how you choose to show up, to feel, or to be in the new year. To crystallize this intention, I recommend setting a word of the year. This word should evoke energy, images, and emotion for you. A word of the year says not what you want to do, but how you want to be in this coming year.
Through a process of getting clear this week, I pared my list down to the one word: ‘allow’. It wasn’t a word that I had thought about at length, but when I did the process — that I will outline for you further down in this post – this word just popped out. For me, allowing means to just relax and to let things happen. I have a tendency to hold tight to my goals – to try to control the outcome. Instead of gripping on, or forcing outcomes, I want to allow things to happen and also, to allow for the unexpected.
This opens me up to:
- Allow lazy days
- Allow for prosperity and abundance
- Allow for new surprises
- Allow for mistakes
- Allow for greatness
- Allow for clarity
- Allow for relationships
- Allow my body to be healthy
To pick YOUR word of the year, generate a list of possible words and start to pick at least 3-4 that resonate with you. Next, start asking yourself these questions:
- Why do I think this is the best word for me?
- If I embodied this word, what would be different for me on an average day?
- What could I attract this year if this was my word?
Once you have it, remember it! Set it up as a reminder on your phone. Say it out loud during your day. I know that just one word can make an impact on how your year goes. Try it and let me know how it’s going for you.
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Happy New Year!