How to Reconnect With Your Word Of The Year

In January, you found your Word Of The Year (WOTY). You were excited about new changes to come.

Now you feel frustrated because last month evaporated faster than water in a desert.

Not much happened.

You wonder how to go through the transformation you were dreaming of and become the new you by the end of the year.

Word Of The Year

Instead of making new year’s resolutions, the Word Of The Year (WOTY) is used as a theme or a guide to help you grow and bring new changes into your life.

Create one or more WOTY, depending on where you want to focus your intentions.

I personally use multiple ones as follow:

• One main WOTY to cover my life in general (personal and work)
• Three underlying WOTY to focus on improving three business areas during the year

You can easily find online articles that explain how to find your Word Of The Year.

Unfortunately most of them stop at the creation part.

It’s a first step to find your WOTY but its power resides in the connection you make with it along the year until it is fully integrated into your life.

Supercharge your WOTY with verbs

Use verbs, rather than nouns or adjectives, to empower your WOTY.
Those words will actively drive your transformation during the year.

Choosing a verb forces you to think about the actions or triggers that will help you achieve your goals.

For example, you could replace the word “Peaceful” with the verb “To Relax”. The two words mean different things but the act of relaxing is one way to help you feel peaceful.

In case you prefer keeping a word that is not a verb, I would still recommend that you list the actions you could take to connect with your WOTY.

Track your progress

The benefit of using a verb is the ability to associate it with tasks that you can track and measure over time.

Each time you complete a task related to your word of the year, mark it down in your calendar.

If you have regular activities that lead you toward your WOTY, ensure that you make time for them by scheduling them in your agenda.

Review and celebrate

Stay connected to your WOTY all year long with periodic reviews: check how often you took action toward your Word Of The Year.

Do at least a monthly review.

Get extra kudos if you do a weekly checkin on your WOTY.

During your reviews, make sure that you list:

• Your accomplishments
• What could be improved the next month
• The action items related to your WOTY for the coming month

Your frustrations will fade over time when you acknowledge your accomplishments.

If you regularly perform those reviews and take action each month, I guarantee that you will bring positive changes into your life month after month.

What is your current Word Of The Year and how do you connect with your word during the year? Share your insights below in the comment area.