The power of one word
Skip the New Year’s resolution-just choose one word to guide and inspire you all year long.
Have you heard of the practice of having a “word of the year”? I heard this idea a few years ago and decided to try it out. I love it so much I wanted to share. It’s a great mindset tool that I think you will love too. It’s super simple, but it really works when you find a good word.
The basic idea is that you find one word to focus on throughout the year to guide you toward something you want to manifest in your life.
Your word can be anything as long as it motivates and inspires you.
Your word should create a positive energy and give you a mental boost every time you repeat it to yourself.
Even one word has the power to create a positive or negative vibe in our bodies and minds.
Here are some contrasting words to give you an idea of how this works. Notice how these words resonate with you when you read them and hear them in your mind.
Peace
Fear
Prosperous
Destitute
Fulfilled
Lacking
Inspired
Discouraged
Patient
Critical
Calm
Urgent
Motivated
Energized
Organized
Happy
Joyful
Confident
Creative
Delighted
Abundant
Guided
Focused
Distracted
Active
Bored
Confusion
Clarity
This list could obviously go on for pages, but I hope this gives you some sense of the emotions evoked by different words.
Recognizing the emotional impact of words is a powerful concept that I hope will encourage to find a word to point you in the direction you want to go in your life right now.
My word for this year is FUN. That might sound a little shallow at first, but I bet it made you smile. Just saying the word fun lifts my spirits and gets me excited about whatever I’m doing. For me fun is very closely connected with joy.
“This is fun.” is a phrase that makes me smile, gives me energy, and motivates me to do things.
As I’ve been “test driving” my word the last couple weeks, I’ve been really enjoying the effect it’s having on my mood and attitude.
And while not everything in life is fun, I can almost always have more fun than I’m having just by thinking the word and applying it to whatever I’m doing at the moment.
For example, my husband and I have had a lot of work to do lately on our rental properties. If I just do the work to get it done and check it off a list, it feels like work and I’m not really satisfied until it’s done. But when we’re working and I think to myself, “This is fun. We are really making this place look great!”, I get a boost of energy and I find myself working faster and more effectively. I also tend to find ways to make it more fun like putting on a great playlist while I clean.
Other things like driving to appointments with my clients, cleaning the house, and even budgeting and paying the bills can be fun if I approach it with the right mindset.
You could say when I make it fun, things get done.
My husband has a “fun” word of the year too. His word is published and we both get super excited when we say it because he is working on publishing two wonderful children’s books he wrote years ago. At the time he didn’t really know the best way to move forward with them, but now he’s in the process of choosing an illustrator, and they will for sure both be published before the year is out.
I seriously cannot wait until the first time he reads his books to our grandkids. I think I will cry tears of joy!
If you want to find your own fabulous word for this year, here are three tips to help you come up with one.
1-Look for a word that expresses something you really want more of in your life.
Avoid words that induce guilt or create a sense of duty. If you find yourself saying “I should be more…patient, grateful, organized etc.” find a way to express what you want that has a positive connotation for you. Patient could become peaceful. Grateful could become thankful if that sits better in your mind. If you want to be more active and have more energy, try words like “active, energized and movement” and see what sticks.
2-Find a word that really resonates, something that brings up positive emotion when you say it.
Look at the list above and see if any of those land with you, or google some positive words and see what stands out to you.
3-Don’t overthink it.
This is for you only and it doesn’t need to be perfect. You are free to change it anytime if something better comes along! If you’re not sure, choose a few and “test drive” them to see what kind of effect they have on your mind. You can also choose a short phrase if that makes more sense to you.
Whether you want to feel more peace or contentment….
Whether you want to simplify or multiply…
Be more present or purposeful…
Whatever it is, find a word that you love and run with it.
The best thing about this is that it is so simple and yet so powerful.
It’s not a huge New Year’s resolution that you might give up on when life gets in the way and motivation fades. (
It’s just a word to give you focus, direction and clarity.
Just say a word. That’s it. Try it and I promise you the results will amaze you!
If you feel like you want to share your word, drop it in the comments below. You can also email me with comments or questions.
XOXO
Rachel
