Every year I choose a word to guide me in my practice.
Here’s how I do it.
I start a new journal every January and I write my word for the year on the first page, along with habits and intentions for the year ahead.
My words are generally to do with work-life balance and developing a practice without burning out in the process.
My word for the year in 2020 was ‘Boundaries’.
In 2021 it was ‘Sustainable’.
In 2022 it was ‘Simpler’.
In 2023 it was ‘Focus’.
In 2024 it is ‘Invest’.
Each word helps me set better boundaries, have a better work-life balance, and guides me to a more sustainable practice.
Boundaries in 2020
My ‘Word for the Year’ in 2020 was ‘Boundaries’ – I chose this word before I knew there was going to be a pandemic.
In December 2020, as I reflected back on my year, I felt that while my boundaries were ok, I had often ignored them due to everything happening around us.
I had also been working much longer hours than I wanted to.
I could see that my ‘Word for 2021’ needed to help me balance my practice so I could work in a more sustainable way.
How I choose a word for the year ahead
I always start off by try out a few words by writing them in my journal, usually during December.
I look back through my journal as a whole, and read my notes from weekly and monthly reviews.
I use this as a starting point to review my year as a whole.
At the end of 2020 I initially came up with ‘Ease’ and ‘Clarity’ as potential words for 2021, but in the end I settled on a different word.
My word for 2021 was ‘Sustainable’.
By sustainable, I meant sustainable for my personal well-being, and also as a long-term way of working in my homeopathy practice.
By the end of 2021 I felt that while my life work balance was way better, there were several aspects of my work that had become overly complicated.
Hence my word for 2022 was ‘Simpler’.
I wanted to be inspired to find ways to simplify my systems and processes.
By the end of 2022 I had made some good changes and as the pandemic came to an end, I knew I wanted to focus on writing a book – sharing tips for growing a sustainable practice.
My word for 2023 was Focus.
I hoped this would help me remember my intention to write.
But, by the end of 2023, the word Focus hadn’t helped me as much as I’d wanted it to.
On reflection I felt it was too prescriptive, and I felt a little ‘told off’ by it.
I knew it wasn’t a lack of focus that stopped me from finishing my book, it was simply that I had other priorities that year.
This year my word was Invest.
What I meant by that was to to invest in myself by taking better care of myself. I chose some additional words to support me: Quiet, Steady, Strong, Methodical.
I wrote myself a list of habits I wanted to build: better sleep, morning walks, nourishing food, yoga.
I wrote another list of items I wanted to invest in: new technology, a trip with my son, quality time with friends and family.
As I look back on this year I can see that this word was more motivating for me, and the support words helped too.
Will you choose a word for the year ahead?
Wherever you are in your practice, it’s valuable to have a consistent routine where you review your work.
This is the value of having a ‘word for the year’ each year.
If you feel you’d benefit from a mentoring call to help you find some clarity, feel free to get in touch.
Just email me: hello@yourradiantbusiness.com
