Stop setting New Year’s Resolutions.

I know, I know. I already wrote about this last year. And last year I was so smitten by the idea to have a word of the year because it worked so well for me in 2020. But in 2021, oh my! It was more than good. I started out with 3 words of the year (typical Enneagram 7) but I quickly reduced it to one single one: COMMUNITY.

Little did I know how much it would actually guide me, be a lifeboat throughout the lockdown here in Canberra, and really positively and starkly change and shift my life. And I have a feeling that this word isn’t quite done with me yet.

Now, why is it better than creating a whole host of New Year’s resolutions?

Well, do you remember the last time you stuck to all your New Years’ resolutions? Or one of them? Or do you remember remembering what your New Years’ resolution was by the end of the year? And how did that make you feel?

In my case, the responses are: “No”, “no”, “kinda”, and “disappointed in myself”.

And that’s okay.

Having a set of New Years’ resolutions may sound like a sound idea but there is simply so much potential for disappointment, resentment and being angry with yourself.

There is no need to add all that to your already busy life.

That is why I suggest a compass, a word of the year.

And here are some of the beautiful benefits:

A word of the year gives you direction and focus

It’s like a compass, an anchor, a sail … You get the idea. It’s a boat! Anyway, … When you have a word of the year it guides you through your year. For that it is best to keep it visible in some way. For example as a phone background, a watercolour you prepare, written on your bathroom mirror with lipstick, or — and I steal this idea from my friend — make it part of your passwords that year. This way you have to write it over and over again and keep being reminded. I am not talking about tunnel vision here, but a guide that’s waiting like a lighthouse at the end. Okay, enough with the nautical images, already!

A word of the year opens your eyes to new opportunities

When you have a word of the year, you look out for new things. And not only do you begin to notice new opportunities that already exist in your life but you also seek out new opportunities. This may look like looking up certain events or sitting down and making an effort to schedule in more friends — or whatever it would look like for YOUR word of the year. You seek out newness, you begin to see different opportunities, your horizon widens and your every-day grind gets shaken up. You welcome.

A word of the year helps you in making aligned decisions

Oh, I love this one. When you have a word of the year that you have deeply considered at the beginning of the year — and if you are anything like me and have found symbolic connections to all kinds of aspects and experiences in your life for your word — you are so connected to this word that you can also use it to be a deciding factor in making decisions. After all, your word of the year is an intention you have set for this year. It’s not just some letters that happen to make up a word that you found pretty. No. It is an INTENTION. And not just that. It’s an INTENTION OF YOUR HEART, a wish of your younger self (even if just a few days younger) for how you wanted to live your life these next 365 days. Use it to make decisions in a way that support your word, your intention and you will feel so much more aligned.

A word of the year is a constant but gentle reminder for positive change

This beautifully feeds into the previous point. Because what you really wanted when you created your word of the year was change. And sometimes it is ever so subtle. It is something you have craved before, or want to create more of, or try out, or call in. When you keep your word of the year present and visible and at the top of your mind, it is a gentle reminder to go and create that positive change you wanted when you created the word. And trust me. It is just one word. And that makes it so infinitely easier to remember than New Years’ resolutions. I am an Enneagram 7 — which on my tricky days means scattered, FOMO, shiny-object obsessed, no commitment, and all that jazz. And I was able to do it. It came so effortlessly to remember this word and let it remind me of the thing I so truly and genuinely wanted more of.

A word of the year witnesses your growth over the year

At the beginning of the year, in good ol’ January, you are all new to your word of the year. It’s exciting. It’s the honeymoon phase. You get creative in how you can live it and embody it. Over time, things begin to shift. Perhaps it becomes more natural to you to act upon the word. You will see more and more meaning behind your word, how it has improved your life, how your ways of living have shifted (ALL BY JUST ONE WORD! ISN’T THAT AMAZING?). And by the time you reach the end of the year and you begin to look back, you see how your year has unfolded and how it has unfolded differently than it would have without you word. It witnesses you and it changes you. That’s the power of a word of the year and setting an intention. Perhaps you even kept a journal for your word of the year, wrote about how it appeared in your life, how you acted on it, how you made decisions based on it, and so on and so forth. Let’s just say it’s magical. But only if you dare to actually play.

A word of the year helps you remain more conscious and mindful of your experiences

And here we come home to the core of what I am mostly about. The art of living consciously, with more awareness, and being mindful of how we move through our day, year, and life on this Earth and within our community. When you do these things above – you keep your word of the year visible, top of mind, begin to live it, feel it, embody it, base decisions on it, let it guide you, surrender a little bit more each day – you get to taste the sweet nectar of the present moment which is all you have anyway. All this gives your day-to-day experiences more meaning and depth. And this is when time begins to run differently. This is when you look back upon your past year and on how you lived your word of the year and you notice a WOW-effect. That’s what I want for you.

Extra benefit

Having a word of the year for a few years is a beautiful and precise mental photograph of your growth over a longer period of time

Say what? Well, it’s similar to two points further up, but applied to more than one year. The thing is this. I barely ever remember in what year I did what. I get confused with the years. It’s a little embarrassing but I trust that if this is happening to me, it’s also happening to others. Especially in these crazy 2020s. But how I do remember my years is oriented around where I lived at the time.

You see, before Australia, I lived in 4 different countries and traveled 20+ other countries. When I remember something, the memory often begins with “When I lived/was in [enter country], X happened”. This is how I measured my time for a long time.

Since I have been doing less travelling the last 4 years, my words of the year have given me a new way of puzzling together my experiences. For example, my words of the year 2020 were ADVENTURE & DREAM LIFE, my word of the year 2021 was COMMUNITY, and my word of the year 2022 shall be shared with you soon! And I know which decisions I have taken, what things I have done and tried and created in my life based on these words.

So, who knows. Perhaps, one day, my memories will begin with “In the year of COMMUNITY, X happened”

You do You

This exercise of having a word of the year is so incredibly unique to each person. And it’s never about “how can I Iive this the most possible” and going extreme. You do you. I know that I have mentioned this in quite a few of my recent posts, but I feel like it is a really important point to make (even if over and over again) — especially in these times of social media and personal growth and everything else that’s going on: YOU DO YOU. You do what’s best for you. There is no need to compare yourself to others. It is a very natural and okay thing to do — but the thing is that in many cases you won’t gain anything from it, and in the worst cases it will keep you back and cause your inner critic to flame up. You do you. Remember that. This is YOUR life. You do what lights you up and what you want and what is good for you.

Love,

Nina

PS. Do you want to have a word for next year? Do you want to live next year with more guidance, intention and focus? Are you sick of making New Years’ Resolutions that don’t stick? Do you want to find a concept that lets you deeply connect to yourself and your life? I have cooked up a small beautiful little offer for you. I would love to support and coach you on your word for the year 2022.

Your Word Of The Year 2022:

Worksheet to begin playing with what your word of the year 2022 could be
1x 90 mins coaching to dive deeper on the meaning, to let your soul and heart express themselves, to look at what you are craving missing, wanting to create
1x 45 mins follow up session 3 weeks later
creating ideas on how to live your word of the year
quarterly e-mail check-ins throughout 2022
video teaching on the power of having a word of the year
and more

Make 2022 your year here.

PPS. Whenever you’re ready…

If you want to get clearer on your purpose, learn to love yourself, find the courage to step into your vision and make a difference in the world – let’s have a powerful non-binding conversation! I know you are here for a reason and I’d love to support you further. My support looks like this: You talk. You tell me about your dreams and your struggles. I listen. We play. Your life changes.

I’ve seen it time and time again. I’m ready when you are.

PPPS. If you loved this blog post, please share the love with a friend you know would benefit from it. Send it to them via WhatsApp, email it to them, text it to them, ... Whatever you've got to do to get this in their hands. ✨

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