It’s that time of year when people select a word of the year. I’ve been a late bloomer in this area and didn’t join the bandwagon until 2017. But before I get too carried away with my 2020 word, let’s back up a little for those of who are just coming into this whole “word of the year” thing.
What is a Word of the Year?
A word of the year is a word that you intentionally choose to represent our life theme for the next year. It essentially guides how you approach the coming year.
For the last two years, my word of the year just “came” to me. They were both perfect for where I was both personally and professionally. But, selecting a word of the year this year has been a little more challenging.
The word you choose should be the essence of things you are striving for in your life and business for the upcoming year. Before you get too far into the process of choosing your word of the year, you need to decide if you are going to have one word for both personal and professional life. Or, are you going to choose separate words for each part of your life? There’s no right or wrong answer to this question, but you do need to think about it.
The chosen word is a reminder of what you are striving for in your life and/or business for the upcoming year. It also should inspire a push that will improve your life. You want your word of the year to challenge you to strive towards personal growth as well.
2019 Word of the Year
So, what did I choose for my 2020 Word of the Year? I chose BALANCE. I’ve had some challenges during 2019 that have made me realize that my life was out of balance. I wasn’t paying enough attention to my health and it cost me a lot. Hopefully, I can keep things in better balance for 2020.
What’s your word of the year? If you haven’t chosen a word yet, don’t stress, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for tips to finding your word. Plus, I’ve complied a list of potential word ideas from a variety of sources for you to download.
How to Choose a Word of the Year
Here are three quick tips on choosing a guiding word of the year for yourself.
Choose one that challenges you but doesn’t drive you nuts.
The word you choose should entice personal growth in an area that you really want to work on. It shouldn’t make you want to pull your hair out. Don’t feel the need to choose a word in your biggest problem area that forces a massive amount of change quickly unless you’re prepared to take on that emotional rollercoaster.
You’ve got a whole year ahead of you to work on becoming better in this area. Slow and steady wins the race. Just a little change each day will make a huge difference in a few months.
Choose a guiding word that feels right.
Stay true to yourself and choose a word that empowers you. Don’t choose a word because it impresses other people, or everyone else is choosing it. Don’t be ashamed to pick one that fits your personality even if you think it’s a word that no one else understand or like. It’s your word.
Choose a word that gives you clarity.
Whatever you choose, make sure it gives you clarity on what you want for the next year. Try using the word in full sentences that describe what transformation you see taking place. Everyone interprets words differently. Plus, you’re a lot more likely to follow through. Know what direction you’re going with your word and have clarity on what that word means to you.
I would also encourage you to write down your word, what it means to you, and why it’s important. Put this full description in a place you’ll see often. Also, put your word, without the explanations, in many places throughout your home and work place. Use it to help you stay focused on what’s important this year.
Let me know what word you choose to guide you in 2020. Let’s be accountability partners and remind each other on a regular basis of our 2020 word and what it stands for. Send me an email at janet@jlcsolutions.co or comment below.
Once you’ve chosen your Word of the Year, check out this post, Achieve Your Goals with a Daily Planning Process , for ways to incorporate it and your goals into your daily actions so you crush 2019.
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