Author: Liz Frome
The practice of choosing a “Word of the Year”, rather than setting a lot of different New Year’s Resolutions, is that you select one single word to be your focus for the year.
You can use that word to set goals or intentions for each area of your life but have them all tie back to the single word. For example, if your word of the year was “abundance” you might have sub-goals of investing in an abundant number of friendships, or hitting an income goal, or spending more quality time with the people you love without your phone. “Discipline” could entail going to the gym, sticking to an evening routine, and no longer being late to meetings.
By tying all your goals back to your word, it is easy to keep them front and center.
I put my word in a few places that it will remind me of my intention I set in the beginning of the year – good places for your word - your phone screen, on your fridge, on the front of your computer.
The first time I picked a word of the year was back in 1979. (I would choose a word of the year based on what was happening with my life at that time. I played a lot of sports, had BIG goals and dreams. I would start thinking oy my word in early December and would pick my word by January 1st. My word would keep me focused and would help me achieve those goals.) I love “Quotes” and I will choose 1-2 quotes when I am selecting my word of the year and when I am setting my intentions. (This motivates me when I need a boost, I think of my word and my quotes!)
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
(Along with this I have to say do not overthink things!)
For 2022 I decided to reach out and ask people what their word of the year was. When I first would ask family, friends, clients, candidates, acquaintances, and strangers I would say, “What is your word for 2022?” I would say 75% would stop and hesitate and you could hear their brain burning and after a few seconds, out would come their word. For some the question would stump them and they would say, “Let me think about that and get back to you.” The individuals that just came out and said a word I really connected with as they had energy behind that word. They would then tell you what that word meant to them right away. For some they would just say “I do not believe in that stuff, and I will not choose a word.” (Honestly, I only had 1-2 people take this path. I wanted to talk to them longer, but you could tell they would never be selecting a word.)
The conversations were well worth the question! The conversations about the words they would choose would break the ice and lead to a conversation that would connect the two of us. It made me think about that person and possibly why they choose that word and realize we are all connected by these words; more than you think!
Well onto my word for 2022… DRUM ROLL … The word I chose for 2022 was LIVE!
I know kind of an off selection, but I wanted to remind myself with everything that has been going on for the last couple of years to make sure I was getting out there and LIVING! There are days with work being so crazy that I will not leave the office to see the beautiful blue sky, to take a look around and realize how lucky I am to live in such an amazing city and to just get up from my chair and walk around the block…to LIVE! (It is time to see the world again.)
One of my favorite movies is The Shawshank Redemption and the 2nd quote I think of often is,
“It comes down to a simple choice really. Get busy living or get busy dying.” Andy Dufresne
Here are the words that were chosen for this year with my simple question:
"What is your word for 2022?"
And the 2022 words are:
Act
Adapt
Advance
Adventure / 2
Appreciate
Balance
Believe
Better
Bliss
Bloom
Care / 2
Collaborate
Compassion
Compromise
Connect
Consistency
Declutter
Determination
Discipline / 2
Earn
Enjoy
Evolve
Excel
Finish
Focus
Forgive
Freedom
Friends
Friendships
Fun
Grateful
Happiness
Happy
Harmony
Health / 5
Home / 2
Hope / 2
Impact
Kindness / 2
Laugh
Laughter
Leave
Love
Memorable
Motivate
Motivation
Outside
Patience / 2
Perseverance / 2
Pleasure
Resilience
Resilient
Retirement
Service
Thrive
Today
Transformation
Travel / 2
Unity
I will keep in mind all these words when I go through 2022 and I will smile and think about the people who chose these words. I will send them good thoughts and hope they are getting out of their word what they wanted.
These words crossed my path this year for a reason and the list is truly amazing. (The list will grow as I am still asking my question and I will ask you, “What is your word for 2022?”
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
Marcus Aurelius
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