The Word of the Year

The new year always presents such promise and I’m still feeling that optimism three weeks in. I like the sense we get a fresh start and a chance to refocus. Some of you may have set resolutions or chosen new goals to work on. Big this year seemed to be choosing one word that would drive you in all you do.  The idea is a little bit like developing a super short mission statement that you can really focus on over the course of the year. Google even lists steps to take to decide on your word: reflect, visualize, create a list, review and refine, choose, commit). And then of course you have to share your word on social media.

I suggested to my husband, who never does this kind of thing, that we should each choose a word for the year. Without using any of the steps required to choose the perfect word, he said his word was “do.”

I informed him that he wasn’t doing it right, that you must go through the steps. He laughed and said no, he wasn’t going to waste his time going through steps, he was just going to “do.”

Just Do

So yes, I think he nailed it, and I’ve made it my word, too. Do can be used in so many ways.  What can I do differently, what can I do better, what can I do that makes me happy, what can I do to make others happy, what can I do to get it done?

I kind of fell in love with the word and the idea because it really pushes you to act and be productive. It can refer to setting and achieving personal goals or professional goals, taking on new challenges, or simply being more engaged and active in one’s life. It can push you in the direction of learning, growth, and personal development, which can lead to greater self-confidence, motivation, and satisfaction in your life. It lets you choose what you want to do because it is specific to your thoughts and aspirations.

Being a Doer

Here are some things to try to get you started on being a doer in 2023:

• Don’t wait for the perfect time
• Commit to doing something everyday
• Do something that scares you
• Do something you’ve dreamed about
• Do something kind
• Do allow yourself to make mistakes

We can waste a lot of time trying to come up with the perfect word and put a lot of stress on ourselves to make our word something that we can share on Facebook that will get a lot of likes or we can just do. That’s my challenge for 2023 from where I sit.