Recently I attended a local women’s networking luncheon. The event organizers asked all women in attendance the same question:
What’s your WORD for 2023?
A local artist was on hand, standing next to an easel and square canvas, and as we wrote down our words and brought them to her, she painted them onto the canvas into what would become a piece of inspirational art for the year to come.
When I encountered the question – what’s your word? – analysis paralysis set in for me at first. One word? For a whole year? That’s a lot of pressure. And I sure didn’t want to pigeonhole myself into goals that were too narrow.
But I had walked this road before. In 2020 (yes, that 2020), my word was steadfast. It was a word that found me, and not the other way around. Moments continually presented themselves as challenges: stay the course, I found myself saying over and over. Stay the course.
A focus word is like an anchor, keeping you grounded in a vision or goal you set for yourself. You can turn to it as you are planning out your day or your week. You can use it as a guide for decision-making, a rudder when you reach a fork in the road.
Today, I want to challenge you to consider a focus word of your own for 2023. Don’t overthink it.
What is one word that intrigues you, or one word that seems to continually show up for you lately?
Write it down. Think on it.
How can you use that word to make progress and move forward in 2023?
If you are a writer, I invite you to register for my free webinar, “Clarify Your Writing Goals for 2023.” The webinar will take place on Jan. 7, 2023, at 9 a.m. MST. I’ll encourage you to identify 2-3 writing goals for 2023 and name the hurdles that might threaten those goals. Together, we’ll consider ways to overcome your roadblocks, and you’ll receive a “road map” with specific steps to help you accomplish your writing goals in 2023. You can register for the webinar here. The event will be recorded, so even if you can’t make it live, go ahead and register and then watch the replay at your convenience!
Back to your word for 2023. When you are ready, I would love if you would SHARE that word with me. I’ll collect words from my newsletter subscribers and design a word cloud to showcase YOUR words for 2023. I’ll send the word cloud in a special email on Jan. 1, 2023, to everyone who participates. I’ll also feature it right here on my blog. Feel free to pass the challenge along to your friends and family!
I didn’t have to think hard about my word for 2023. It’s community. Because I want the work I do in the coming year to be focused on building community for writers and creating spaces and opportunities for writers to come together, challenge one another, produce work and grow in the craft. I’ll be rolling out some unique opportunities in that vein in the near future. Stay tuned! But for now, think about your focus word for 2023 and share yours with me. I can’t wait to see what we create!
