Though I know there are no magic solutions to life’s challenges, I want to share my secret weapon that I’ve been using for the last sixteen years that doesn’t cost a dime: choosing a word of the year. When you choose a Word of the Year it gives you a touchstone of support in the year ahead. And to say that 2020 has been a year that none of us expected is an understatement.
I am sure the state of the world has affected how you feel within your own daily life.
In the early days of lockdowns, there were a lot of folks that were convinced they could thrive. To use the time to better connect with their families, get in the best shape of their life, and finally write that book.
Yet, a large majority of even the most positive people I knew hit walls that made them feel like failures. Even those who chose a touchstone were asking themselves me questions like:
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- What happened to my goals? And my deep drive to create and get things done?
- How could “all this time” make me less productive then when time at home was a rare commodity?
- How is it that I am spending more time with your spouse than ever yet our sex life is practically non-existent?
- I love my children so much yet all I want is a break from them. Does that make me a bad person?
No one failed 2020, darling. And you are not destined for 2021 to be one big suck-fest, either.
What has happened is that you’ve used up all your reserves. Because our human bodies and brains were not designed to deal with this level of constant stress and strain. Nor were we meant to deal with so much sameness day in and day out. And the thing is, though many of you reading have tools for dealing with a bad day or even a challenging season, none of us haven’t really been taught the tools to do more than survive month after month of stress, limbo, isolation, and uncertainty.
Yes, despite understanding that there will always be stressors in life and the fact that life is uncertainly uncertain, this year has taken it beyond the extreme. It’s led to a whole different kind of burnout for many. Myself included.
Because I like to find solutions to challenges, here’s the word problem I’ve been trying to solve… “How can a person regain a sense of feeling in control of their life when everything feels so out of their control?”
Let me begin by saying that I know there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Yet a touchstone can be a big part of the solution.
And while I know there is no one-size-fits-all answer, I’ve found what feels like a solid way of to bring myself back to center on even my toughest days. And have discovered when I go back to the basics by asking myself good questions in my journal.
Because 2020 was such a challenging year for so many of us, In that vein I’m going to suggest something that may sound odd coming from a life coach.
As you go through the process of finding a Touchstone for 2021 focus on your daily life.
I am not going to suggest you refrain from big goals. Rather, we need to ensure that we live ourselves and our lives in the process. But the truth in the matter is that many of us need to recover from 2020. We need to find hope, work on our resilience, and heal the traumas we’ve experience in 2020.
And while those are big tasks. And while it’s not something that can be accomplished overnight, making good choices today to select a Touchstone for the journey invites us to infuse the ordinary moments.
So, yes, set big goals for yourself if you’re called to. However, don’t forget that achieving the seemingly ordinary or small intentions can be a source of life-giving hope. That way, when you’re ready to tackle the bigger goals. And when those larger, more complex dreams come to fruition, we’re ready to revel in the glory of it.
You, my darling, deserve to see those desires and dreams become a part of your reality.
Yet, to do that may mean getting some help along the way. There’s nothing like having an accountability partner or a life coach on your team. And while hiring a life coach may not be in everyone’s budget, this is where choosing a single word (or short phrase) gives a touchstone to support you throughout your journey in 2021.
Think of it like a theme song to motivate you as you move from here to what’s next. Your word of the year is there to serve and support you as we exit one of most challenging years many of us have ever experienced and enter into fresh new year. To be both a guide and witness as you experience the highs and lows of breathing life into your deepest desires.
In my experience – as a woman and as a coach – choosing a word of the year is the magical ingredient creating an amazing year.
The 2021 Guide is no longer available. Instead, get the NEW & Improved Version for 2023.
A Guiding Light for 2024: Discover Your Word of the Year.
Here’s what you’ll find in A Guiding Light for 2024: Discover Your Word of the Year.
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- In Part One, you’ll take a look back as you Bid Farewell to 2023.
- You’re invited to look ahead to 2024and begin to breathe life into your desires as you explore Part Two.
- In Part Three, you’ll review a list of more than 1000 words and begin pondering what Word (or words) is right for YOU in 2024.
- To help you gain clarity, Part Four provides you with a series of tools to help you gain clarity around the best Word to serve as a touchstone to serve as your companion through your journey in 2024.
- In Part Five, you’ll Declare Your Word (or Words) of 2024.
I’ve also added two Bonus section to help you you create a more nourishing year.
Bonus One explores Ways to Work with Your Word of the Year. This section suggests a dozen ways to help seal your Word…and more than a dozen journal prompts to continue to check-in with your Word throughout 2024.
Bonus Two is an invitation to dive into your emotions. There, I’ll share how you can use your emotions for good. And as a path and process for creating days that are more nourished. And satisfying.
Get your FREE Copy of this powerful workbook: A Guiding Light for 2024: Discover Your Word of the Year.
