For the last couple of years I’ve had a word of the year and found it such a useful exercise to go through in terms of the thought process of really imagining how I wanted my year to feel like. Having a word of the year allows you to set an intention based on a feeling and I think that’s the big comparison with goal setting – which is much more focused on what you want to do and what you want to achieve.
I think many people are struggling with goal setting this year due to the huge ambiguity we are under during a global pandemic, we feel that what is the point of setting goals given we don’t know what the world will look like in a month’s time, let alone a years. Even though none of us could have predicted 2020 to end up the way it did, it’s surprising how many people’s words for the year really resonated with how they felt the year went (encompassing all the positives and negatives).
My 2020 word for the year was THRIVE and whilst I didn’t do all the things and goals and travel I had planned, I did thrive. I survived a pandemic, raised a baby into a toddler, quit my corporate job whilst on maternity leave, became fully self-employed, worked with the most amazing clients and launched a group coaching program which kicks off on the 18th January (I have one space available as I’m writing this so click here if you are interested to find out more!). Everything wasn’t always rosy and it was a very tough year and to me thriving was about putting my all into everything I did and adapting as I went, in a fairly hostile world!
I think trying to find that sense of flow is where I think the word for the year really comes into it’s own.
It allows us to focus on our overarching intention for the year and how we want it to feel for us. Feelings are one of the few things we have control over at the moment! Once we find the word or words (if you are being greedy hehe) that resonates with us the most, then we can start to dive deeper into what that means for 2021 and what we can do to truly embody that feeling.
So if you are interested in finding your word for the year and using that as your overarching intention then here are some tips:
· Ask yourself how do you want to feel this year? Imagine yourself on 31st December 2021 looking back on the year – what would you like the overarching feeling to be?
· Reflect on how you felt last year went for you – what went well and what didn’t go so well? What is the energy you’d like to take into 2021?
· What feeling would you like more in your life? What is the missing puzzle piece?
Once you have that word(s) that resonates with you, write it somewhere that you see often – whether on your vision board, a post it on the wall or in your notepad. Now you’ve put it out there it’s about trusting the process and trying to keep a high/positive energy as well as creating goals that will help support your pursuit of that feeling.
My word for the year is CONTENTMENT; which for me means being more present and enjoying the journey (rather than focusing on the destination). I am hugely driven and can easily lose myself in the race to get somewhere or achieve something, so for me this year will be about trying to find that flow and balance. My goals to support that pursuit of contentment will be around investing in myself and ensuring I am supported enough to be the best version of myself both personally and as a business owner. Which I do on an annual basis at a high level (almost like focus areas) which I then break those into monthly goals and targets that I then work towards day to day (let me know if you’d like me to do another blog post on how I do this!)
I’d love to know whether you have a word for the year or whether you are thinking about one! email me emily@emilybuttoncreative.com, I’d love to hear from you!
Commenti