At the beginning of a new year, it’s easy to get caught up in resolution setting. The disappointment that follows when those resolutions are broken soon after, can leave us feeling demotivated and flat.
Why don’t resolutions work?
Not all resolutions fail but what’s wrong with a New Year’s resolution is that often we try to change everything at once. Change takes time and requires us to learn new habits and adjust our lifestyle.
What’s the alternative?
For a while now there has been a shift towards simplicity, which makes sense given the overstimulated world we live in. Rather than setting resolutions people are selecting a word of the year. The word becomes your guiding light, helping you navigate big and small life decisions by reminding you what you have chosen to prioritise for the year ahead.
What’s my word?
As someone who enjoys intention setting as part of yoga practice, the word of the year concept resonates with me. My word for 2023 is progress, in the context of strive for progress not perfection. Being a perfectionist, I often procrastinate when starting a new project or task in fear the outcome won’t meet my expectations. The word progress is an apt reminder to simply start, move one foot in front of the other and tackle one thing at a time.
Why is your word important?
The words we use matter. They influence our mood, our interactions with others and most importantly our happiness and wellbeing.
What’s your word?
If you’re feeling stuck, consider what’s important to you this year. What do you want more of, what will help you be more present, what will make you feel good and what will inspire you. I would love to hear what word you have chosen and why, add your comments below.
Always here,
Alyce