Why I’m replacing my New Year’s resolutions with one word and why you should consider doing the same.

I find New Year’s resolutions daunting and overwhelming. You set out with the best intentions yet fail miserably to keep up with them; I can only speak for myself.

I’ve lost count of the number of years that have passed where January arrives, kicked started with the utmost enthusiasm and my New Year’s resolutions jotted down in my new journal, but by the end of the year, I have nothing tangible to show.

Not to be a Debbie downer, but we’re halfway through January, and this is where most people fall off their new year’s resolution bandwagon. Most people by now have given up or failed; research indicates the success rate for achieving recent years’ resolutions is less than 20%.

I stumbled across an article circa 2016 that proposed the idea of discarding New year’s resolutions/goals and instead selecting three words that set your intention for the year. There are different variations of this. However, the common theme is to pick between one to three words. Essentially these words act as a mantra to guide your daily actions and decisions and help you grow physically, mentally and spiritually. The more precise you are with whittling it down, the greater clarity, intention and direction you’ll have.

I’ve been doing this practice on and off for the last couple of years, albeit only sometimes fully committed. We’re 16 days into the new year, and I can already see my 2023 word’s positive impact. I’ve started blogging/writing again, and it’s why I joined Medium; I’m asking questions at work with all the vim and confidence (if you read my previous post, you know why this is important), and my mindset has shifted.

This year I’ve decided to go with one word as it resonates with me most at this stage of my life. When I think of what has held me back, a few things come to mind — lack of self-discipline, consistency and commitment but the most significant setback of them all has been fear and self-doubt.

My chosen word for this year is bold

what does it mean to be bold? The dictionary defines bold as:

Being bold is my figurative middle finger to fear and self-doubt.

My intention or hope is to be bold in the following:

Bold in my decisions

Bold in my healing

Bold in advocating and showing up for myself

Bold in stating my wants and need

Bold in my self-belief

Bold in self love

Bold in carving out the life I want

Bold in making and attracting the money to live the lifestyle that I want

There’s something quite comforting in having a word, almost like a North Star, guiding you in your decisions and plans.

If you decide that this is something you would like to do but are still trying to choose your 2023 word(s), the best place to start is to reflect on the past year and ask yourself the questions below.

Questions to ask yourself before choosing your word(s):

1. What can you do differently this year?
2. What are the habits and behaviours that are holding you back?
3. How would you like to be described by family, friends and peers?
4. How would you like to feel this year?
5. If you could only pick one goal, what would it be and why?
6. What does the best version of yourself look like?

Other ways to select your word(s)

Journal -If you’re an avid journal lover like myself, journaling is an excellent way to gain clarity. Alternatively, you can meditate — this is what I did; sat in silence, and the answer came; bear in mind I’m not the best meditator. If the aforementioned fails, you can also review your goals for this year and see what word would be most fitting for achieving said goals. The key is to go with your gut; your word shouldn’t feel forced or rushed.

Okay, your turn. What’s your 2023 word of the year? I’m keen to see what words resonate with you. Feel free to share in the comments section.

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