Word of the Year for 2023

I talk about this all year long, but every year I like to focus one post on choosing your word of the year and it’s time for 2023! Oftentimes I follow the same flow to blogs of years past, but rather than having to go back and reread it let’s just get down to business here.

Please note, I take zero credit for coming up with the word of the year idea, rather I help educate others on the process of coming up with your word. So follow my process, or find someone else’s – either way I hope you choose a word for 2023 instead of a resolution!

Let’s start with breaking it down. First things first. Do you know what a word of the year is? Simply stated (in my own words) I use a “word” to set my intentions for the upcoming year. What word closely aligns with what I would like to see of myself every day for the upcoming year. It’s usually a combination of changes I want to make, mindset I want to set, actions I want to take, etc.

If you come across this blog, I’d love for you to tell me where you found me. I talk about my “Word of the Year” all over the place. You can find info on The Connect Show, Small Business Milwaukee, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, etc.

Why I choose a word of the year instead of make a “resolution”…

How many of you set a New Year’s resolution? Does it work for you? How long have you stuck to that resolution? Last year I did some research for 2022’s blog and I found some interesting statistics. A HUGE majority of individuals that set that “resolution” drop it faster than they set it. Per the study I found from The Times News only 4% of survey respondents stuck to all of their new years goals and only 8% stuck to most of their goals. So why continue to set a resolution only to feel you let yourself down by the end of the year? Heck, even the end of January for some!

“Many years ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to never make New Year’s resolutions. Hell, it’s been the only resolution I’ve ever kept!” -D.S. Mixell

THAT quote above fits me to a T. Setting a “Word” instead of “Resolution” is more like setting an intention. You are constantly reminded (as you will read below) your “Word” and will be more intentional about following through with what you want to see for the upcoming year. Oftentimes with a resolution you want instant success and when you don’t see it, you drop it and move on with your life. When you set your intention for the life or the year, results will greatly differ!

I said this last year and I will repeat it…. I have felt success instead of failure ever since the day I ditched New Year’s Resolutions and started choosing a word instead. Did you read that? Success OVER Failure! Who wants to feel like they fail at anything? Why would we set ourselves up for that intentionally?

2022 my word for the year was “E.P.I.C.” Some would say I cheated a bit because this past year, my word was actually an acronym. My word stood for “Energetic, Positive, Influential and Collaborative.” I had a crazy year – crazier than most know or will know. Even through all of the craziness I worked 2022 always remembering my word. There were many unexpected barriers to “fail” at my word and I didn’t do it. Do you know why? When I set the word, it wasn’t a simple goal for me to follow – it was a way of life! One huge accomplishment was bringing back a networking event that’s been dormant since 2020, and I also created a brand new in-person networking event! Just the 2 networking events alone I believe I fully fulfilled my Word for 2022!

Did you choose a word for 2022? Do you feel like you achieved it? I’d love to hear in the comments what your word was and if you were successful in your choice!

set your goals and get to work!

What are your goals? Lose weight, change jobs, open a business, quit smoking, save money, etc? Get yourself a pad of paper or open up a notes tab on your phone or computer.  Start thinking of what you want to focus on for 2022. Just start writing or typing words that come directly to mind.

When I talk goals, I love to reference SMART goals. if you don’t know what a SMART goal is, it is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Based. A goal of “I want to save money” misses the mark. I want to save $1200 is better, but still not time bound. A goal like “I want to save $1200 by December 31, 2023” follows the SMART goal measures. $1200 is specific and measurable, achievable (for this example) and is time bound by a specific date.

Can you have more than one SMART goal? Absolutely! I think it’s great to give yourself goals in different areas of your life such as work, school, family, health, etc. In previous blogs, I gave examples like “I will go to the gym 3 days per week in 2021 to lose 20lbs for the year” and for business “I will gain 200 new followers on my social media by December 31, 2021.”

In the next section we can break those SMART goals down into smaller parts to help define one word that can be all encompassing to fit your lifestyle for 2022.

Break it down and let’s find the word…

Next, let’s take that smart goal and break out specific key words that bring you towards that goal. If you have a few goals, write down descriptive, focused words. How are you going to achieve that goal? Start writing or typing those thoughts making sure to use descriptive words; no matter how big or small this is going to help you in the process of choosing your word. 

Are you starting to see a common theme between your focus(es)? What is motivational in the descriptive words you’ve written down? Looking at your words, do you see a lot of nouns (customer, workplace, employees, family, time, social media, etc.)? Let’s try to remove the focus of nouns and focus more on adjectives (profitable, healthy, happy, successful, grateful, blessed) or verbs (gain, focus, renew, soar, balance, progress). What can you take action on that will motivate you towards success for the following year? What verbs or adjectives do you want to see from your nouns? Personally, I find a verb to be the best choice for me, but you have to choose what works for you too.

Last year, like I said above, I broke some of my very own rules. Well kind of….

I like to find 1 solid word but I have a LOAD of goals for the upcoming year. So instead, I took 4 of those words (that kept showing up in my SMART goals) to make one acronym. So my word of the year? E.P.I.C. ENERGETIC – POSITIVE – INFLUENTIAL – COLLABORATIVE

My word was so “EPIC” last year, I’m having a hard time defining what I want to see out of 2023. But, I don’t want to beat myself up about the “what ifs” but also choose an amazing word that I can actually achieve. Yeah, 2022 was a great word, but 2023 will be just as good – just maybe not as memorable to others! I’m here to show you though, you can break the rules and do what works best for YOU! This is about you, not everyone else.

Now use the word EVERYWHERE

What do you do with the word once you’ve chosen it? I can tell you what I do – I plaster it everywhere! Anyplace appropriate that I see consistently. A constant reminder to not forget. When you forget, you drop it, right? Remember above… SUCCESS over FAILURE!

Wear it! In the past, I was a consultant with Thirty-One Gifts. For 6 years actually! In the past we’ve had bracelets where we could monogram a word or saying on that bracelet. Unfortunately the bracelets aren’t available as of today, but if they become available, I will update this to include a link with another consultant I could connect you to. When I ordered the bracelet, I wore it every single day as a reminder to myself to not forget my word. There are many Etsy shops (yay, support small businesses) where you can order a bracelet for yourself to have a bracelet every day too! Unless Thirty-One comes back with them soon, I’ll find a great Etsy owner and have one made. When I do, I’ll come update you all with my findings!

Create a vision board! They’re so fun and relaxing to make. Just cut up some old magazines or print out photos with your word and even some pictures of where you want your word to take you for the year. Plaster them all over a piece of heavy cardstock or poster board. Hang it up in your office or somewhere you’ll see it every day. 

If you use a good ole paper planner, put it at the top of every week or month as a daily reminder. Take it to the next level and put some of those smart goals in your planner too. If you have a date specific goal, a planner is a great place to plaster it !

Create a digital photo collage and use it as your home screen on your computer, phone or tablet. Use your word and place photos behind it of things that help define that goal. I love Canva to make collages or fun photos. They have a great free option!

Promote it on your social! Use it as a hashtag and maybe find others that have that same word for the year.  You can also find great inspirational photos by searching it as a hashtag. Use that photo you created for your home screens and put it on your social too. 

If you journal, journal all about that word. Not just once, go back to it and fill in the wins you have from reaching that goal as you reach them! Journal all about your smart goals. Continue to remind yourself and trust in yourself to reach those goals!

Oh gosh there are so many ways you can make your word a decorative reminder of your goals for the year! Draw it, write it, wear it, envision it and set your mindset to achieve it! What are your ideas of word placement and uses?

You’ve Got This!

Need some inspiration? Download my FREE list of words that might help you get started on your word journey! There are many unknowns for the upcoming year. You’ve got this!!  Take your focus on what you can control. What can you do for your business or even yourself to make 2023 even better than 2022? We all have it in us and I’m hoping this gives you the ability to find what you can do to keep moving forward for the upcoming year. Always remember that you matter and you can make a difference!

Your success is in your hands and I hope you all have a prosperous 2023!  Thank you for taking the time to be with me for this and I really look forward to your questions and comments!  Feel free to share this if you found it inspiring or helpful at all.  I hope I can help others succeed in the upcoming year!  If you’re comfortable, let me know what your word for 2023 is and if it’s personal, business related or both!

Much love & success,

Kim