Choosing a word of the year or a theme song can give you direction.
For the last fiveish (?) years, I have chosen a word of the year and a theme song. The theme song came first, suggested to me by a friend. Then along came a long drive to visit family for Christmas. I had lots of time to think, listen to music, and listen to a radio show about, you guessed it, a word of the year.
The premise is simple. You choose a word that inspires you or that you want to aspire to. You can look up lists online to choose from, there are even word generators. I don’t really choose the word. I let the word choose me. Same with the song.
For 2023, my word was balance. 2022 had knocked me out of balance and I began the year thinking that if I could achieve some, it would be ok. 12 months later, I may not be totally in “balance” but I am better in balance than I was when I picked that word. I made progress, that’s a huge win.
My song of the year actually changed part way through the year. I started out with a very much “girl power” song because I needed that anthem at the time. Around March or April, it changed to one about gratitude for all the blessings in my life. Yep, even for the challenges.
My method is not scientific, I don’t use an algorithm. I usually start thinking about it right after Christmas and by the new year or a day or two in, a word or a song just “feels right” and that’s what it becomes for the year. There have been years that I didn’t figure out the meaning until long after the year was done. That’s ok. It gives me something to ponder as the year goes on.
I haven’t picked my word of the year yet. I did look at some of the word generators to give me some ideas and it’s percolating. My theme song picked me a few weeks ago, so we will see how that goes in 2024. If you think this is not for you, I suggest you try it, and see what comes. You may be surprised in the direction it will take you.
