a word of the year practice
“Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.”
Fifteen years ago, around the same time I was thinking about quitting my law career, I met my lovely friend Ali Edwards, author and life artist extraordinaire. We had met at a small creative retreat for people who practiced some sort of art, and the event allowed for lots of one-on-one time with the participants.
I'm not sure how Ali and I got on the subject, but it was there that she introduced me to her One Little Word concept, her alternative to New Year's resolutions. In her words:
"A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow...I want to introduce you to the idea that a single word can be a catalyst for enriching your life ... I began a tradition of chosing one word for myself each January – a word that I can focus on, mediate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life."
I immediately took to this idea, particularly as I was about to embark on a complete change of career and lifestyle. I loved the idea of not having a set goal (at least not at first), so much as a set concept — a word to act as sort of a North Star, guiding my journey, without having any "guilt of failure" attached to it. So then and there, since it was the beginning of fall (and I do love fall beginnings), I picked my first word for the year 2008-2009:
I picked the word TRUE because at the time, I felt like I'd spent most of my adult life being someone I wasn't cut out to be -- though I was good at my job, being a corporate attorney in the oil & gas industry felt completely counter to who I was at my core. I wanted to use TRUE as my North Star, to remind myself as I started on this journey before me, not to succumb to old habits of Trying to Be What Is Expected of Me.
So I got home from Oregon, made a vision board, and put the word TRUE in big block letters in the lower right hand corner.
Every year since then, I've included a Word of the Year on my vision boards. For the year 2009-2010, I had just begun writing my book The Beauty of Different, and so I was focused on looking for BEAUTY wherever I could find it.
And in 2010-2011, I had finished writing the book, and was hoping for two things (a) that it would INSPIRE the people who read it, but even more importantly, (b) that I would be able to INSPIRE myself to do bigger things.
So, I’ve been doing this every year for fifteen years. And sometimes, the year feels like I’ve really embodied the word. Sometimes the word feels like it’s only had a very slight impact. But ultimately, it has always acted as a lodestar for discernment, helping me evaluate opportunities that come my way, or even remind myself how I want to show up when I’m facing a challenge. And besides — the words have always felt more meaningful to me than resolutions ever did.
So, it’s that time of year again, and I’ve come up with a new word for 2024. And so, if you’re interested in coming up with your own word of the year, here’s how I come up with mine:
Review what you wrote over the last few weeks. In the past weeks, I’ve shared methods to find the good in the past year, as well as ways to dream big for the coming year. As you look at what you’ve written, notice if you’ve returned to words or themes that feel like they represent more of what you want for the coming year.
In my case, I noticed that the things that really filled me up this year were things like recording the audiobook for Radiant Rebellion, and then later learning that it won an award. And returning to speaking, after a couple of years off, and keynoting a huge conference of over 5000 people — it had been a moment, and I forgot how much I loved doing this. And going on tour for the book, and meeting people face-to-face. And even doing workshops at large corporations based on my work. Because of this, I know that for 2024, I want to focus on my work even more, and have the space to do so. I want to focus on my writing, and my speaking and my coaching more exclusively than I have in the past.
And for me, the word that kept coming up was ASCEND. I want to ASCEND.
Once you’ve come up with your word, look up the dictionary definition of your word. This might seem unimportant, but I’m always surprised by the dictionary definitions of my word. For example, the year that I chose INSPIRE, when I looked up the definition, I was surprised I hadn’t remembered that one of the definitions of the word was to inhale. This definition added a new dimension to what I wanted for that year: to remain curious and welcome experiences that nourished me.
Bonus point: find a quote that uses your word in the way you hope guides your coming year. For example, even though the word ASCEND felt right, there was a part of me that felt like perhaps it was a bit … I dunno, egotistical maybe. But then I came across this quote from actor Daniel Brühl: “As we ascend in love, we are called to live and express that love in every way that we can.” And this reframe felt right — that my hope for myself is meant to be an evolution into a better version of myself.
After I’ve done this, I put the definition and the quote somewhere where I can refer to them — in this case, my journal, but sometimes as part of my vision board, or just on a bulletin board. Just somewhere where I can jog my memory about what I’m hoping to create for the coming year.
And that’s it! I hope this helps, my friends. And I hope you’ll share your words with me! I’d love to hear what we’re going to collectively create for 2024.
A little about the new book.