Happy New Year everyone! This is actually one of my favorite times of the year. I like to think of it as starting off with a blank slate. Learn from the past and start new. I always spend time thinking about what I want to do in the coming year, both in my business and personally. Most people do this and create New Years resolutions, but that has never really worked for me. Instead, I like to have a word for the year to focus on.
Last year my word was TRUST. I wanted to trust in myself more. Stop overthinking things and trust my instincts. Trust that I could do things that scared me. I did, eh, ok with this word, but never had clear cut goals or intentions. It was just something in the back of my head that I thought about from time to time. I feel I could've done more to keep the word in the forefront for the entire year. This year I joined Ali Edwards' One Little Word workshop to help me do just that.
The workshop consists of a series of monthly creative prompts that invoke thought and actions toward your word. You also record these into a scrapbook of sorts. So for January, you obviously have to choose your word and document why you chose the word and your intentions for it throughout the year. My word didn't come to me quickly. I knew I wanted to become more focused on goals and make them happen. In previous years, I'd create goals, but never really took steps to reach them. Although some I did reach, it wasn't a well thought out process. I wanted to be more intentional. Intentional. Hm, I liked that word, so I sat with it for a few days. Over those days, it seemed I saw that word everywhere. Figuring that was a sign, that was the word I was going with.. INTENTIONAL.
Well, after digging into the workshop prompts for January, I came to the part where you look up the definition of your word. I did that and saw the synonym "purposeful". That word really struck a chord with me. It seemed to have the same meaning as intention, but with heart. A more soulful, heartfelt focus for doing something. So, despite the signs I got earlier in the week, I changed my word to PURPOSEFUL. Plus, now don't laugh, it's more fun to handletter the word. Sorry, that's the designer in me coming out.
My intent for the word? I want to have everything, well most everything, I do lead to a specific purpose. I want to be more focused on attaining my goals for the year. Each month I want to eliminate one thing that causes me stress, work on deepening relationships, and do some soul work/self care. I also want keep focused on longer spanning goals, being purposeful each month in attaining those goals. I think participating in the One Little Word workshop will help me keep my word more visible throughout this year and help me stay purposeful in how I spend my time.
Do you make New Year's resolutions or have a word for the year? I'd be interested in knowing what you do to make the upcoming year one of your best.