It’s time to start thinking about your motivational word or short phrase of the year for 2022. Savor this little happiness hack because it provides a delicious respite for the mind and food for the soul.
But first, as 2021 draws to a close, let’s congratulate ourselves for having just endured one of the most challenging years ever known to humanity in the modern era.
From the chaos of the 1/6 insurrection and desecration of our Capitol, to the never-ending saga of the Trump presidency corruption.
And then from the erosion of the democratic process by restricting voter access, to the outrageous Texas anti abortion law’s obscene disregard for women’s mental and physical health, to the proliferation and continued perpetuation of “fake news.”
Moving on, what about the dangerous anti-science vitriol spewed day and night against the Covid vaccine and mask wearing undermining the health of the world, to the shock and dismay of the ever increasing breakthrough cases of Covid 19 among the fully vaccinated, and now to the Omicron variant scaring the sh*t out of us!
Is it any wonder that our already frayed nerves are even more ragged? Where’s the relief to come from?
As we struggle to make sense of our fractured world, it’s time to tap into a few moments of calm.
For those of us who are able to gather with family and friends to celebrate the holidays this year, the best antidote to all the madness is to let your love and gratitude for all that is good overflow your cup.
For a little extra boost, you can revisit my most recent gratitude post to ground yourself in some easy gratitude practices.
And as you set your sights on 2022, relieve the pressure even more by tapping into your imagination now to choose a meaningful word or phrase that inspires and delights you.
Find language that generates feelings of energy, motivation, optimism, intention and focus for all you wish to experience and accomplish in the year ahead.
Note: In the rest of this post, I will just use the single word “word” as a stand in for “word or phrase,” but, just as a reminder, either one is always an option. You get to decide.
Think of your word as the beacon in your lighthouse guiding you home.
No matter how rough the seas or stormy the weather in your life, it will remind you of your intentions and sharpen your focus.
Whenever you’re overthinking or over-reacting, your special word will cut through all the noise and help you make decisions with greater confidence and clarity.
It can help you remember what’s important whenever you find yourself in a quandary.
It can help you interrupt any tendencies you might have to lean into indulgent emotions like overwhelm, indecision, worry and procrastination.
With all its many nuances and shades of meaning, it will shine a steady and reliable beam along your path to guide you back to yourself and your core desires.
Follow these easy steps to choose your word or phrase for 2022.
Step 1: Set an intention that you will find your word.
- Start thinking thoughts that generate feelings of excitement and curiosity about the quest to find your word.
- Decide in advance that finding your word will be a fun adventure.
- Ask yourself how you want to feel on a more frequent basis or the way you would like to approach your choices and decisions in the coming year.
- Ask your brain to come up with multiple options.
- Allow your brain time to percolate on the assignment.
- Make a list of the words that feel like options, five, ten, twenty. There’s no right number to consider.
Step 2: Explore your options.
- Reflect on the words that you list as your top contenders.
- Think about the many ways the word could give deeper meaning and guidance when applied to your relationship with yourself, your family and friends, and your professional life.
- Try each option on for size. Marinate in the feelings each generates.
- Is there a word you keep coming back to? Decide which word continues to generate the most resonance.
- If you think it would be helpful, check in with someone whose opinions you value.
Step 3: Choose your word.
- When one word seems to be surfacing again and again, drawing in you, generating excitement, you’ve got a winner.
- Once you’ve chosen your word/phrase, commit to it.
- Don’t worry about making the wrong choice. There’s no such thing.
Step 4: Embrace your word.
- Let your word heighten your awareness of how you are approaching your life.
- Meditate on it. Consider how it can impact your decision-making process.
- Enjoy seeing how your word can apply to various aspects of your life throughout the year.
- Celebrate your word as the bright beacon in your lighthouse, always there, ready and waiting to guide you home.
Here are some of my top contenders for 2022.
For one reason or another, each option made my list because it resonates with some aspect of my heart-felt desires. If you find that one of them speaks to you too, please adopt it as your own.
- Love
- Help
- Celebrate
- Allow
- Nourish
- Progress
- Build
- Everything is happening for you.
- Say yes to the bigger life.
- Grow
- Imagine
- Evolve
- Intention
- Expand
- Interpret
And my 2022 winner is…
Drum roll please!
After careful consideration of my top contenders, I chose: SAY YES TO THE BIGGER LIFE.
Here are some quotes I like that inspired my desire to say yes to the bigger life.
“How do you want to be remembered? Live life full out – Begin today.” – Jonathan Lockwood Huie“Life isn’t meant to be lived perfectly… but merely to be LIVED. Boldly, wildly, beautifully, uncertainly, imperfectly, magically LIVED.” ― Mandy Hale“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
What will be your word for 2022?
What are some thoughts you’d like to think that support your winning word? List 5 thoughts that add depth and meaning to your word.
These thoughts should have the power to refocus you and provide clarity as to how your word is relevant in your life.
These thoughts should make your word come alive and motivate you, especially to face or do the hard things that are certain to come along.
Of course, you need more than a word of the year to make the big changes you really want to make your reality.
That’s where coaching comes in.
I’m here to help you transform those big dreams, wishes and desires into big changes and then into your new reality. Whatever is rising as a top priority for you in this current chapter of your life, let’s get to work.
It’s a beautiful feeling to start the New Year fresh with an intentional strategy to make 2022 your best year ever.
And, please believe me, it’s never too late and you’re never too old to go after it ALL!
Whatever you’re longing to create in 2022, I can help you navigate all the challenges and overcome the obstacles.
Sign up for your 45 minute FREE Strategy Call right here.
