Happy New Year!
Starting when I was 7, I’d always write in my journal about the previous year and set some goals for the new year. In recent years, my tradition has shifted away from goals and I’ve become a fan of choosing a focus word for the new year.
My previous focus words: thrive, flow, content, focus, and fearless.
What is a Focus Word?
I personally look at a focus word as a very loose guide for the year. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but a word I choose as a sort of guide for how I want to live my life. During the year of living fearlessly, if I was hesitating to send a scary email or put myself out there for an opportunity, I’d pause and ask myself “Am I being as fearless as I can be in the moment? Or am I letting fear get in the way?”
The word I choose is usually in response to something I struggled with the year before, or something I wish I had focused more of my attention on. Some years my focus word just comes to me easily long before the previous year is over. This year that actually wasn’t the case for me (more on that below!) so I had to do a bit more digging.
Ready to choose your own focus word? Here are some of my tips:
How To Choose a Focus Word
Journal: You know I love me some journaling! A good place to start is journaling about the previous year and your hopes and dreams for the year ahead. You might start to notice a common theme between some of your answers or a word that keeps popping up. If you find prompts helpful, here are some focused on reflecting and intention setting for the new year.
Ask yourself the question: How do I want to feel this year? Your focus word doesn’t necessarily have to be this word, but it can be a word that helps you get there energetically.
Collage: If arts and crafts are your jam, get some magazines and make a vision board. You might find yourself gravitating towards a certain word over and over again. (BTW I’ve also heard of people making digital vision boards on programs like Canva if that’s more your jam — I’ve never tried it though!)
Gut Feeling: Don’t underestimate the power of a gut feeling. Sometimes a word just pops into your head (a friend of mine said her focus word for this year came to her in her sleep!)
Rather than trying to force it, take a step back and it might easily come to you.
My Focus Word for 2021:
I originally thought my focus word for this year would be FLEXIBLE. There are so many unknowns for the year ahead. And I do think it will be important to be flexible: Be stubborn about your goals. Flexible about your methods.
But…. the more I thought about it, the word really wasn’t resonating with me.
As I started journaling about the previous year using the prompts I shared with you and writing my yearly reflection blog post, one word kept coming up over and over again:
JOY.
Follow the joy. Do the things that bring me joy. Lead with joy. Use “joy” as a barometer.
I actually had used JOY so much in this blog post that I changed my word choice a few times as not to sound redundant!
Once I had that “aha!” moment I realized JOY is the perfect word for me at this moment. I have NO clue what the next year will bring (do any of us, really!?) But something in my control is seeking out the joy.
I get worried sometimes my content verges on “toxic positivity” — I am not a believer that things have to be good vibes always. Sometimes things just suck.
But I have realized over and over again that I am happier when I read books that bring me joy — even if they aren’t intellectual, cool, popular, or hip. When I create content from a place of joy I don’t care if it flops — I had fun making it.
And there is something to be said about appreciating the simple joys like the perfect iced latte when the big joys I usually looked forward to like travel and broadway shows aren’t happening anytime soon.
So, here’s to you 2021. And following the joy 💗
✨
YOUR TURN: What’s your focus word for 2021?
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