Words for the New Year

I am all about being intentional with the words you use. There are some I highly recommend such as “want to” and “choose to” and others, such as “should,” “have-to” and “need to” that I suggest being very selective when using.

But sometimes, it’s not the word choice itself that matters.

Let’s take a look at popular – and unpopular words used as one year ends and another begins.

The words “resolution” and “goals” have both fallen out of favor. But, they’re not evil or unhealthy words. There is nothing essentially negative about using them.

Vision, dreams, and intentions are currently more preferred. But just as resolution and goals are not inherently negative words, these others are not inherently good or beneficial. They’re not magical.

All of these words have the potential to be fruitful for you. They each also have the possibility of being no more than your next frustrating attempt to change your life.

But consider that it’s not the word that is working – or not working - for you. It’s a failure to connect the word with necessary changes in behavior.

If you want to create changes in your life, whether it’s your health/wellness journey, planting a garden, writing a book, or simply getting up earlier in the morning, you can use any word that resonates with you. But, you must also go beyond your word choice.

Here are three steps to help:

1) Consider your routine: How is your daily routine going to change? Are there activities that you would benefit from eliminating? Where are you going to schedule your new activities on your calendar? When you don’t take the time to consider how your desired changes are going to impact your routine, you’ll fall into the trap of, “I want to; I just don’t have time.”

2) Reflect on your relationships: Are your changes going to impact someone important in your life or your time with them? Have you communicated with them around this? When the changes you’re making are going to impact an “other” in your life, it’s important to have collaborative conversation with them. Otherwise, your fear of, “What are they thinking” may creep in and stall you. It’s also possible that conflict will arise because of unanticipated changes, and you’ll fall back into your old patterns to relieve the tension.

3) Create manageable action steps: Are the actions you’ve determined truly manageable? Or have you decided to dive in with an all or nothing perspective? All or nothing typically ends up as nothing. Your greatest value will come from identifying – and taking – small steps that you will maintain across the long-term. They will keep you steadily moving forward rather than falling when you attempt a big leap all at once.

As for me, I like the word intention and I choose it often.

Not because it’s magical.

Because it’s my best foundation for taking these three important steps.