One of my favorite quotes from a favorite book.
As 2017 winds down to an end, I realize again how much I love this transition from the old to the new. Everything seems fresh and possible to me. A new year, a new day, a new hour. Everything that’s old is new again.
Honestly, the eve of the new year is one of my favorite days. Not because I like to go out to parties or even that I am likely to ring in the new year in any special way. Sometimes we don’t even stay up till midnight! It’s really because I am standing at the doorway to new beginnings.
I have a practice of choosing one word that will guide my actions, my thoughts and my behaviors during the year. Last year was “Simplicity.” I found that I purged, created better flow, looked for ways to let go of things, people and thoughts that were no longer serving me. The year before, my one little word was Brave, and I stretched myself out of my comfort zone time and time again, creating a sense that I just needed to honor that intention, and the rest would fall into place.
This year, my one little word is Create. In fact, I have a bit of a formula attached to it this year. So actually, it’s three little words:
Connect. Engage. Create.
The process, as I am envisioning it, begins with Connecting to my authentic self. The true longing of my soul. The inherent skills and talents I possess. My creative trio – mind, body and spirit.
Then, I Engage all of those aspects of myself as I connect to them. I call them to life. Summon all the best I have to offer in whatever it is I am designing.
Then the Creation begins – whether I have a plan of exactly what, why and how or whether there’s an end result I am looking for but have no idea how I will get there. For me, creating sometimes begins with knowing nothing. And sometimes, I have a clear sense of exactly what I am trying to achieve.
It’s hard for me to imagine what all I can accomplish with this word as my touchstone this year!
I encourage my clients to come up with one little word to guide their year as well. As a coach, I find that setting an intention for the year helps my clients move into the habits, opportunities and behaviors they are looking to practice or design.
Want to give it a try? It’s very simple. Just ask yourself – what’s your one little word for the year?
(Ali Edwards is a creative entrepreneur and has designed an entire course on the concept of creating One Little Word each year. You can find her work in this area here.)