New Years Resolutions, plans, goals. Whatever you want to call them, it’s that time of year to choose to recenter, refocus, and reprogram and I have chosen my word of the year to help me do just that.
What is your New Year’s Resolution? One of the most commonly asked questions that gets such a bad rap. I am an avid goal oriented list maker so making New Year’s Resolutions used to be one of my favorite things to do. Some years my resolutions were simple and some years they were intricate. But all were peppered with the harsh reality that I would break most, if not all, in a few short weeks. Nine years ago, a friend challenged me to try something different. Instead of making complicated (aka easily breakable) goals, she told me to choose a Word of the Year. A simple single word to apply to my actions and choices. A word to use in hardship, success, trial, celebration, with my family, with my friends, and with myself. I accepted her challenge and nine years later I am still following her advice by choosing My One Word every January 1.
My 2024 Word of the Year is:
There are multiple definitions of strength. Physical strength, mental strength, strength as a characteristic, strength in numbers, strength in potency. So what does strength mean to me?
Physical Strength
I am fit but I am not strong. This year I am commiting to a strength training, not just exercise, routine as well as increasing my protein intake so I can gain more muscle mass.
Relationship Strength
Parenting the teen and pre-teen years is a delicate balance of giving my kiddos independence and freedom while also guiding, teaching, and setting rules. My goal is strengthen our relationship by parenting them with love and boundaries and spending more one-on-one time with them. My husband and I have been together for over 20 years. Our marriage is incredible but a marriage is always a work in progress. To strengthen our relationship, I’m focusing on spontaneity over routine, appreciation over expectation, & more holding hands, not holding phones.
Mental Strength
This will come with more reading…and not just fiction books. This year I plan to supplement my One Book A Month Reading Program with non-fiction works that will help me grow my faith as well as leadership and business skills.
Market Strength
I see this strength as two-fold. I plan to strengthen my presence and value in my business as well as strengthen my relationships with brands. This means better (and more) communication as well as actively pursuing those collaborations and deals; not just waiting for them to find me.
Wow….that’s kind of a lot. When I first chose the word strength, I didnt think it would be this hard. Or this much. But as the Cambridge Dictionary says, “strength is the ability to do things that need a lot of physical or mental effort.” And this is what 2024 is going to be for me.
If you want to try something different, try this challenge and choose a Word of the Year for yourself. I would love to hear what word you choose; be sure to let me know in the comments. Happy New Year and Cheers to 2024!
My Word of the Year is:
Balance.
Try to move steadfastly toward balance in very part of my life – emotional, mental, physical, social, and spiritual.