Happy New Year! There is something exciting and optimistic about the beginning of a brand new year; who knows where we will go, what we will do or who we will meet. The possibilities are endless.
Every January, we have the chance to wipe the slate clean and look with renewed focus toward the goals, priorities or resolutions we think are most important. Using journal therapy throughout this process gives us motivation and support when we most need it.
How are you celebrating the new year? Are you setting traditional New Year’s resolutions or going a more unconventional route? Maybe you are taking the time to reflect on the last year and write about lessons learned, or perhaps you're getting crafty and creating a vision collage as an artistic reminder of your goals.
I recently came across a simple but brilliant approach to New Year’s resolutions. Instead of writing a long to-do list of everything you want to achieve – lose weight, clear out clutter, learn Spanish, save money, volunteer more – carefully choose a word, just a single word, to focus on throughout the course of the year. Let it shape your thoughts, actions and decisions, and look to it for guidance when you need help finding your way.
Christine Kane, an entrepreneur and professional mentor, explained in a blog post how she has been using this method for the last few years:
Several years ago, my friend Kathy and I decided that, instead of making resolutions, we would pick a word that would guide us throughout the year. It would be our touchstone. It would remind us of living our lives at the BE level…
Get quiet over the next few days. And pick a word for the year.
Just one word. That’s all.
Then, hold that word in your mind throughout the year, and let your word guide you to take action.
Journal Therapy Exercise: Pick Your Word
1. In your journal, do a little free-writing to hone in on what your word for the year should be. Try to open your thoughts and write down whatever comes to mind when you reflect on the new year. What do you hope to accomplish or learn? Who do you want to spend your time with? What do you want to change in a year’s time? What do you want to remain the same?
2. Reread what you wrote a day or two later. What common themes do you see? If you need to, do a quick brainstorm of words that resonate with you (for example: creativity, love, wealth or courage), then choose a word that best captures what is important to you in the coming year.
“Uniqueness” is my Word for 2012. I discovered through my journal therapy that I really, really want to celebrate my uniqueness and share it with the world!
What is your Word for the new year? Share it in the comments, and share your story of how you chose it.
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You can find all kinds of journaling tools for self-discovery at JJ’S Journal Therapy store!
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