Have you ever chosen a “Word of the Year” before?

Choosing a Word of the Year is simply determining a word, or theme, to be your focus for the year in place of setting a New Year’s resolution. That word can be used to set any goals or intentions for your life.

What’s My Word of the Year

A few years ago, I ditched creating a New Year’s resolution, and I started choosing a Word of the Year instead. In the past, I’ve had words such as contentment and beyond.

For 2022, I’ve chosen fearless as my Word of the Year to help push me past my comfort zone. I’ve been known to play it safe, but there is so much more inside of me just waiting to get out.

According to Merriam-Webster, fearless means free of fear or brave.

How Did I Choose My Focus Word

Naturally, I’m creative, but oftentimes I stand in my own way. I have a really bad tendency to care way too much about what others think, which causes me to procrastinate and become fearful of the outcome.

I’ll come up with so many scenarios in my head of why I shouldn’t execute something. What if I fail? What if I get a negative response? What if I look silly? What if I sound stupid? What if it’s not perfect? My fear is subconscious.

But there’s no growth in your comfort zone. In order to create the life of my dreams, I’ll have to step outside of that area where I feel the safest. That means facing my fears head-on while realizing that things may not go as planned and that that’s okay. If I don’t at least try, how would I even know? I won’t.

So 2022 will be fearless and a year of growth for me. I’m going to meet my challenges head first, and embrace all that’s to come. That may be succeeding in new ways and also accepting that some things just may not work out.

I know that the fear won’t go away overnight, but I’m no longer going to let it overwhelm or dictate me. I won’t let fear stop me from growing my business to unimaginable heights. I won’t let fear prevent me from trying new things and dropping old habits. I won’t let fear paralyze me. Instead, I’ll move beyond fear and let my faith guide me.

How to Choose Your Word of the Year

There’s been a growing trend of people choosing a theme for the year to act as a guide to how they want their year to go. It’s usually based upon an area in which you’d like to grow whether that’s personally, professionally, financially, mentally, or spiritually.

Think back over the past 12 months, and ask yourself the following three questions:

• What worked well for you?
• What areas needed improvement?
• What would you like to change?

Jot your answer to these questions in your journal or planner and see if you notice a reoccurring theme. There may be one word that sums your thoughts up perfectly or you may notice a phrase that feels just right. You’ll know in your heart which direction to go in. There is no right or wrong way to choose your word.

The secret to sticking to your Word for the entire year

The reason why I don’t like resolutions is that they are so hard to stick to for the entire year. When you have a word or theme for the year, it’s so easy to check in to see if what you’re doing is in alignment. If you lose focus, put yourself back on track by referring to your word consistently. Here are a few ways to keep it top of mind:

• Save your word as the screensaver on your phone or desktop
• Write it at the top of every monthly page in your planner
• Customize a mug with your word on it
• Turn it into a pretty art piece and place it in a location where you can see it daily
• Write it on a sticky note and place it on your bathroom mirror

If you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed at the thought of setting New Year’s resolutions, consider setting a Word of the Year instead. Let this word be a guide to creating the life you want for the year. By New Year’s Eve, you’ll be able to look back and notice all the small, unexpected ways this word impacted your life.

Are you setting a word for the year? I’d love to hear what you’ve chosen.