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Want to know a secret?

I cannot for the life of me stick to New Year Resolutions – even if my life depended on it.

Over the years I’ve devised different techniques and adopted new tools to get the job done.

One of the tools I use each year to guide me on my Hero Journey is choosing my Word for the Year.

It supports me as the year unfolds and life starts happening with events that have the potential to take me off course.

It’s a transformation exercise that works if you stick to the plan.

I used The Word first in 2016 when I needed a push to get back into action.

The year 2015 was a complete mess.

In all fairness, January of that year was one of the best I had both on the professional and personal front but in February, my little dog had hind-leg paralysis. As the weeks wore on, the chances of her walking were down to 30:70.

We were talking wheels for the pet and it was a nightmare situation.

I wrote about it in my blog and how I kept both Miss Coco and myself going since I was housebound.

That year I wrote 4 of my 8 bestselling Kindle books (2 are collaborations that achieved International Bestseller status) and ventured into doing teleclasses.

I survived the emotional roller coaster and Miss Coco walked again without support 6 months later. Just in time to curate and manage my Mom’s 22^nd Solo Show and was grateful the year was ending.

The Word supports my journey.

I knew I needed a better year and chose the word Phoenix to symbolize getting back into my groove in 2016.

It worked splendidly.

As 2017 approached, I knew I had to consolidate my work and business. It was time to get ready for the new direction my Hero Journey was taking me.

My word for the year was Integrate and my vision was Abundance & Prosperity with Creative Magic.

That’s exactly what’s happened!

I streamlined my content, let go of services that were no longer aligned with my vision of Karmic Ally Coaching. That year, I finally established my online teaching school.

By the time we approached the last quarter of 2017, there were changes in my personal life that needed to be addressed. This included a health issue that needed surgery and which honestly, scared me.

Stepping forward with Faith

My Word for 2018 was Faith to keep me bolstered for everything and anything that came up with support from the Divine and my ability to bounce back when times would get tough.

You know something? It did!

Throughout 2018 I felt as if my Guardian Angels were supporting me. Whenever I felt I couldn’t do more, my Higher Self showed me where I could be more effective and efficient.

2019 saw me working with clients who made my heart fill up with pride as they made strides in their career progression and achieved their cherished dreams.

My Word for 2020 was Completion. It was meant to motivate me to complete different projects and tie up loose ends both in my business and personal life.

While I hadn’t (nobody had in fact) bargained for the way the year turned out, it marked the completion of many projects.

I closed the doors on activities and even people who I realized were never really part of my circle.

This in turn created space for friends who shared my values. I experienced a happier environment even though the world had gone wonky.

There’s power in our chosen words.

My Word for 2021 took into account all that I have discovered about myself in 2020 and what really gets me motivated. I was divided between choosing Optimism or Sanguinity – they mean the same thing.

After working out which one vibrated better for me, I went with Optimism. Our chosen word is a good way to acknowledge the person we’ve become and nurture that person for the better.

The year started on a horrible note with the demise of Miss Coco but the same month the COVID-19 vaccine was made available and there was definitely a reason for optimism.

It’s been a weird year and for many of us the loss of the second wave is indescribable.

Optimism kept me going and I released my tribute to Miss Coco on 14 November this year.

The Kindle book, Miss Coco: The story of a Princess Pup who changed my life forever was well received. I’m optimistic her story will warm many hearts in the years to come.

If this year has made you into a grumpy grouchy person, then perhaps your Word would be a motivator to change into a happy contented one. The possibilities are endless.

It’s a simple 3 step process but requires some reflection and contemplation.

Step 1 is the difficult part because it will make you look back in time but after that, it’s easy.

Any change or goal that you want to achieve is possible. All you require is the right level of motivation, clarity about your desire and focus to create that change.

From experience, I know that most resolutions don’t last beyond the first 21 days of January. That’s because we focus on not doing something or forcing ourselves to do things.

But if we summarize what we want in 1 word or maybe even a phrase, we have the entire year to make the change. We can set mini goals to take us through the journey for the year.

Your goal in this exercise is to choose just one word to be your focus for the next twelve months. It is meant to help you keep your attention fixed on your word.

When you choose a single word, you have a clarity and focus enabling you to move forward in positive motion.

How do you go about picking a word?

I’ve listed out a few steps to help you get started! You’ll want to journal this exercise or at least pen it down on a piece of paper.

Step 1: Decide what you want to achieve in the coming year or the person you want to become

This is a reflective step as well as a looking forward one and sets the stage for choosing your word.

Start by looking at the year that has gone by and without any judgement, answer  2 simple questions.

— What do I need more of?

— What do I need less of?

Write down any thoughts that come to your mind. There’s no judgement involved and its acknowledging what’s going on in your mind.

Circle any keywords that stood out in this exercise.

Step 2: What would the new year look like for you if you could have it all?

Spend some time thinking about what would be a perfect day for you in the coming year.

Visualize living that perfect day and note down how it would look for you. This is similar to the exercise we do in Life Focus in 7 Days.

Then answer the following questions that would make your perfect day a reality

— What dreams would you like to nurture in the new year?

— What area(s) of your life is/are asking to be supported in the new year?

— What qualities do you want to develop in yourself?

Write down all the words that come to your mind that are aligned with your vision of the perfect day and the 3 questions. Then put it aside for now.

For example, if the year that has gone by was stressful, consider words like Resilient, Nurture or any word that resonates with what you want more of.

If you know you need to step out of your comfort zone and make changes, choose words like Adventure, Brave, Confident, Poise.

Step 3: Pick a word

Now take a fresh piece of paper and note down all the words you found in Step 1 and 2 and pick a word.

You may have 15-20 words. The temptation to choose more than one will be there, but you are choosing a word. In fact, The Word to guide you in the New Year.

This Word provides you with a lens to see the changes you need to make as well as a way to determine if you really are making the changes to create the perfect year.

Check in with this word every quarter to see if your activities are aligned with your Word.

I’d love to know your Word once you’ve decided on it so do let me know!

PS. Supplement your Word exercise with some self-improvement work! Download my Self-Improvement Strategies Workbook Gift and make the new year your year. Click the image below and we’ll take it from there!