Choose a Word of the Year as a Touchstone for Your 2021 Journey

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:

• • 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.

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Get the most recent Word of the Year book

Get your Free Word of the Year for 2027Workbook:
A Guiding Light for 2027: Discover Your Word of the Year

This newly revised 64-page workbook is designed to help you do much more than choose a pretty Word for your planner. You’ll spend some time looking back at the year you’ve lived, thinking about what you want from the year ahead, exploring more than 1,100 possible Words and phrases, and discovering the Word that feels like it belongs with the life you actually want to be living.

*You will also receive my quarterly newsletter where I’ll continue to serve as your cheerleader for you – and your Word of the Year – by providing journal prompts to help you reconnect to the Word you chose.

A Guiding Light for 2027: Discover Your Word of the Year is free for Subscribers.

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