Choose a word. What’s your word? This is a tradition I have been participating in for more than 20 years. Instead of a tired and dusty New Year’s resolution, I choose a word that will guide me through the following year.
Some years I have known the word by October and some years it has taken until February to get it right, but most years, by the time the champagne pops and the clock strikes 12 on New Year’s Eve, I have embraced the word to guide me through the next year.
Part of the tradition that is really poignant is sharing why you chose the word you did. In past years, as we would gather before midnight on the December 31, we would each share our word and talk briefly about why it is important to us. It was always amazing to learn something new about someone and give their word consideration as well. Maybe a little of their word would rub off on me. It has proven to be a healthy tradition, as the word I choose resides in the back of my mind and bumbles along as my days begin and end. It helps me filter decisions, conversations, relationships and how I choose to spend my time in that year.
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