New Year’s Resolutions have always struck me as such an American thing. Goal-oriented, hopeful and aspirational: resolutions are America all over.
In fact, resolutions have been around in one form or another for 4000 years. Since the Babylonians, resolutions have often had religious underpinnings or focused on renewing vows of allegiance to a leader or code of conduct. Modern resolutions, however, are almost always a promise to yourself for self-improvement or habit change.
And they almost never stick.
In 2011, I let go of resolutions and instead embraced One Word. The idea is to choose a single word to help guide you, like a rudder or a touchstone, throughout the year.
I love the practice for its simplicity and its power. Since I’m focusing on just one word, it’s much more likely I’ll sustain my connection to it far past January 19 (the day that most people give up on their resolution).
Every year, I have to remind myself not to over-think my One Word choice. Instead, I ask myself:
How do you want to feel?
What do you want to feel more of?
And sometimes (not always), what would feel like a stretch, even a little scary?
Choosing your One Word from a feeling rather than any particular outcome allows actions to be aligned with intention. If I have an argument with a colleague and my word is GRACE, the choices I make about how to approach the conflict might well be different than if my word is AWAKE. The way I choose to feed and move my body will likely be different if my word is HEALING than if it is FREEDOM.
Instead of choosing an action (year over year, the most popular resolutions are always: Save Money, Eat Better, Exercise More, Lose Weight), choose a feeling which will guide action.
Some years, I sputter into December with two flat tires and fumes in the tank. In those years, I choose a word to help me regain my footing and find myself again. Other years, I look for a spark, something that challenges my habits, something that feels good-dangerous.
This year, I thought I had a word for 2023. It felt comfortable, familiar and an easy extension of my past couple of words. But then I surprise-stumbled onto a different word, a word that vibrates with the unfamiliar, unexpected, and is a little fluttery-scary. This year, that’s what I wanted: the shimmer of the unknown that could stretch me.
What do you want to feel in 2023? What feeling would increase your aliveness? What is One Word that might support you in that? (And if you’re willing, share it in the comments below and I’ll add your word to our community art piece!)
Send me your One Word for 2023 to be part of our community art piece1
SUSAN’S ONE WORDS
2011 – OPEN
2012 – RELEASE
2013 – SPACIOUS
2014 -- WORTHY
2015 -- FREEDOM
2016 – heARTful
2017 – AWAKE
2018 – HEALING
2019 – CLEAR
2020 – CALM
2021 – TRUST
2022 – GRACE
2023 – RESONANCE