I see a lot of people wondering about their word of the year, or just pulling a word out of thin air, rather than choosing a word that will inspire them for three hundred and sixty five days.

The work below is what I do to get a juicy word for myself that keeps me motivated ALL year long. My last few have completely defined and directed my year – 2017: Paddle; 2018: Shine; 2019: Luminary; 2020: Luminous.)

Ask yourself…

To discover a word that will light you up and help be your compass ALL year long, follow this (just write all the words that come to mind on each question. The word will reveal itself.)

1) Get clear on what you want/ your goals for the year.

2) Ask yourself: are these building goals (like setting the foundation?), growing goals (ie doing the work), or performance goals (you’ve done the work now it’s time to shine)?

3) Are big changes coming your way? If so, are there any words that would help you get through them?

4) WHO DO YOU NEED TO BE to achieve those goals? In other words, what characteristics does the person who has already achieved them have?

5) other questions to ask yourself: are you gravitating towards an action word or a passive word? A verb or noun? Something to motivate you into action, or something to remind you of who you are/want to be?

6) Lastly, when you find a word that feels right but doesn’t truly inspire you, hit the thesaurus- now it’s just a semantics game!

Happy New Year!

xo,
Cheryl

PS If you want to help me with MY goal this year – to win a Billboard #1 slot – please order my new piano/ambient record LUMINARY, designed for mindfulness, focus, peace and growth!