Every year, at about this time, I begin to focus on the year to come. So many of us make New Years Resolutions, set goals, or perhaps reflect on what the past year delivered.
The practice that I have come to love, however, is choosing a word with intention.
Why Do This?
When we give our brain something to focus on, it is able to quiet some of the chatter. We give our brain a direction. In choosing the word for the year, I make a declaration to myself and where I am going to channel my thoughts.
How to Choose Your Word
In past years I have chosen words like Blessed, Hope, and Believe. I chose Joy during an especially difficult year when joy was an elusive and unimaginable feeling. I then have a bracelet made at MyIntent and wear the word as an outward sign of my inward commitment. The simple bracelet is a daily reminder of what I want my brain to focus on and think about.
This year, Courage is where I am setting my intention.
I have stepped out of my comfort zone in so many ways. I have begun a journey and realized my purpose. I have failed, I have succeeded, I have learned and been humbled, and I have grown beyond what I imagined possible. What my 2022 goals require, however, is courage.
I want to be reminded daily that the emotion, courage, is mine for the claiming if I can manage my mind and my thoughts around it.
What word will you choose for 2022?
You can take a quiz here to get some great suggestions based on a few responses. Choosing a word is such a simple practice, yet it is so powerful. Post the word you choose on your computer, bathroom mirror, car dashboard or wherever you will see it often. There is power in the mind seeing and processing the same message over and over.
I would love for you to share your word and even your reason for choosing it below. I would be thrilled to cheer you on as you focus your intent for 2022. Want to schedule a free chat to discuss how to find your word, I would love to connect.
Happy New Year! May 2022 be filled with the words you think intentionally that help create the life you desire.
XO,
Nola
Thank you for this, Nola! I was just thinking about my word this morning and then your email arrived. I think my word for the new year is surrender. Often, the new year is a time to focus on change and how to make things different. Yet many times we are working on the same resolution year after year. Maybe it’s time to surrender and take a new path. It’s a new year, time to turn over a different leaf, however small, and head in a new direction. Cheers to 2022!
I wonder when you think of the word Surrender, Amy, does it feel empowering or resigned? When you think about your resolution that you haven’t been successful at achieving, ask yourself why haven’t I been successful? What are my obstacles and what do I believe or think about my resolution? If Surrender feels empowering, then great choice, if however, it is a way of not going after what you really want, I would love to talk to you about it! Happy New Year Amy and thank you so much for sharing!
I love this Nola, and I needed this quiz to focus on my new word. My words were always used blessed and thankful, which I am, but it does not empower me as it should. My new words (I need both 😂) are going to be believe and discipline. It is time for me to focus on what I need for my health and wellness. I over-extend myself. I put everyone else first and I cannot say NO. Cheers to 2022! Cheers to all of us embracing our new focus. ❤️
Love these words Kristin! You’ve got this! Maybe your third bracelet should say “NO”. As a reforming people pleaser, I completely understand putting everyone else and their needs above your own. The magic happens when you discover why you do that. I promise to do a blog post on people pleasing as you are in such good company when it comes to this. Moms specialize in this pursuit of others happiness to the neglect of their own well being often times. Here is to a health and wellness filled year steeped in the belief and discipline for all you can do!
So….I have four that are in the running.
Courage
Surrender
Determination
Abundance
I’m going with determination! Now is the time that I quit second guessing myself and go for it! Nothing can stop me, except me.
The word I chose for this year is “permission”. I wrote it out formyself in the following way:
Permission
To take care of myself.
To step away if it’s not healthy.
To not worry about what I can’t change.
To do the hard thing.
To be in the moment.
To observe and take in instead of hurrying along.
To breathe into and relax and turn off the monkey in my head telling me I “should” be doing something else.
To use as much yarn in my stash as I can and to buy some new yarn if I need it for that special project.
I chose to put it in this way so that I can remind myself of the various ways I usually am duty driven, sometimes to the detriment of my own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. This way I feel empowered to give myself permission to take care of myself or let things go. The last one was a bit of humor for my creative side, a reminder that I have lots of beautiful supplies already on hand, yet sometimes that special project might need that special new supply. That’s my start to ’22, I hope I will continue to remember this in those moments when things get a bit tougher and our ideals and aspirations can become clouded.
Love this word. It is amazing how we deny ourselves permission to live this one precious life how we choose to. I will remind you to give yourself permission as this year unfold Nicole. xo