Happy New Year! How is 2016 shaping up for you so far?
Great, Not so Great, or Too Early to Tell?
I have heard stories of people who are already having a great time and love this year. And I have heard of people who feel like they are not quite back into the swing of things yet after the end of year break. And I have even heard of a few people who already feel like they would like to hit reset on this year and start the year over!
Today I am sharing a tool with you that can help you focus on what is important for you this year, no matter in which of these camps you find yourself. Watch this 5 minute video to discover the tool and how I use it in my life.
Personal Word of the Year
I have been choosing a word of the year to guide me for at least the last five years. I originally learned of this practice from Christine Kane and the simplicity and power of it appealed to me right away.
Start with a List
I start the process by thinking about what is important to me in the new year and what I most want to focus on. I consider if anything has been under-represented in my life recently or if there is an area where I might need more accountability.
Then I create a list of words that relate to these thoughts. Sometimes I can create the list in five minutes. Other times it might take me multiple days.
However long it takes I keep adding words until I hit on one that feels right.
Typically when a word “feels right” it energizes me more than the other words on the list. It might provide an energy of excitement or it might be a nervous energy or maybe even a calm, peaceful energy. The energetic response is the clue that I need to pay attention to that word and give it a little more thought!
I also make sure that I choose a word that is speaking to my heart and not just to my ego. My ego really wants to be in charge of choosing my word, but I take a firm stand and make sure I allow my heart to make the final decision.
Now What
Once you choose your word the work is not done.
It is equally as important that you remember your word over the course of the year. Your word won’t be able to guide you and provide focus if you stick it in a drawer and forget about it!
Consider posting your word somewhere where you will see it throughout the day. Make it your screen saver on your phone or create an artistic rendering of your word, frame it, and hang it in your bedroom.
If you want this exercise with the word of the year to be super effective, schedule time now throughout the year to reflect on how your word is serving you, what lessons you are learning from it, and the overall impact that word is having on your life.
Your Assignment
Use the process detailed above (and summarized below) to choose your personal word of the year.
Don’t worry that the new year is already under way. Start now and decide how long you want your word to be in effect. You can pick a new word next January or you can wait 365 days. This tool is effective no matter what time of year you start using it.
The steps in the process are:
1. Decide what is important to you this year and what you want to focus on.
2. Brainstorm a list of words related to the above.
3. Pick the word that gives you an energetic response and feels right to your heart.
4. Post your word where you can see it regularly.
Once you have picked your word of the year come back here and share it with the Custom Built Life™ community by posting it in the comments below. Sharing your word of the year is a great way to get support and to make sure you don’t forget about your word a few weeks or months from now.
Bonus Assignment: Let my word of the year benefit you!
My word this year is create. I would love to know what you would like to see me create for the Custom Built Life community. Maybe you have ideas for programs, workshops, video topics, webinars, or products. Whatever it is I would love to hear your input! You can share your ideas in the comments below or send me an email at info@custombuiltlife.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Happy New Year!
Warmly,
Stacy and Dave
I have 3 words I plan to have as a theme for this year:
Joy, Margin, & Follow-up/Follow-through.
I tend to have a ton of ideas, do a ton of research, and take a ton of notes. But I often find myself in a rut because I don’t always take the time to go back and actually put what I’ve learned into practice or take the next steps in the process. A prime example, my job search. I have lots of alerts set up and get plenty of openings that I may be interested in in, but I procrastinate in going back and actually submitting my resume or application. I plan to do a better job this year.