What’s Your Word This Year?
Discover the transformative power of choosing a guiding word to navigate life's myriad decisions and reduce decision fatigue. Melissa shares her personal journey with different annual words that have shaped her actions and mindset, from "Get Sh$# Done" to "NURTURE" and now "ALL IN," illustrating how this practice can focus your energy and align your actions with your deepest values. Learn how to select your own word and make it a beacon for your year, enhancing both personal growth and fulfillment.
Every year, I choose a WORD. This is my guiding theme for the next 365 or so days. This word and/or phrase becomes my GUIDE throughout the day, every single day, when faced with CHOICES.
Every single day we make hundreds of decisions. What am I feeling? What should I have for breakfast? Should I fast today? What should I wear? What should I pack for my kids lunch? What time am I getting there? Who should I invite? Should I attend this event this weekend?
Decision fatigue is REAL and it creeps in when there are so many choices to make in a day. What can happen is we then make decisions from an EMOTIONAL place, rather than a LOGICAL one. This would be fine if we were always in a good emotional state, however, much of the time, we live in our AMYGDALA – the part of our brain we enter when we are in a state of fight or flight. Making decisions from our AMYGDALA rather than our PREFRONTAL CORTEX (a place we get into when we use meditation, breath-work, present time consciousness, etc) will often lead to decisions that don’t align with our VALUES.
Choosing a WORD for the year is ONE way you can help eliminate decision fatigue.
One year my word was “GSD” which stood for “Get Sh$# Done.” When questions came up like, should I attend this event this weekend, but I had a HUGE list of to-do’s that needed to be done, the answer would be a clear “NO.”
Another year my word was “NURTURE.” When questions came up like should I choose to eat this or that, I could ask myself “Does this NURTURE me?” and the answer would be clear and the decision was easy to make.
A couple of years ago, my word was “YES.” I said YES to anything that felt like a great opportunity and our business/es GREW! My “yes” year was the busiest year of our lives. It was fun AND it was intense 😂
This year, I contemplated having my word be “NO.” The word “NO” to me is actually an acronym for “Nourish Oneself.” As women, we often say “YES” to everyone else and “NO” to ourselves, so it felt like a good year to “Nourish myself.”
However, after some reflection, I have switched my word/theme for the year. When I said this one out loud it LIT me UP so I know it’s the right one.
ALL IN.
This year I’m going ALL IN.
To me this means showing up as my TRUE self, uninhibited, having FUN, being PLAYFUL and having a bit of a “F#%k it, life is short” attitude.
I’ve got one life to live in this body and I’m going to ENJOY it, I’m going to take up SPACE and I’m going to set off some RIPPLES and leave my mark. Just writing this down excited the s%#t out of me!
How about you? What will be your word or theme for this year? Spend some time – ideally just before you fall asleep and first thing in the morning (magical time) and ask yourself that question.
Leave time and space to HEAR the answer and it will come.
I can’t wait to hear what yours is! 🤗
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