Like so many of us, I stopped making New Year’s resolutions years ago. I’d rather tweak my life when it feels right, without all that pressure to succeed and maybe even setting myself up for failure. Plus, studies have shown that as many as eighty percent of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by February, so the statistics aren’t exactly encouraging!
Some years I pick a theme, an intention, to set the tone and guide me through the year. Often it turns out to be It’s Never Too Late to Shine On, which is essentially the theme of my life and my books.
This year, in my never-ending quest to simplify, I decided to pick a single word of the year: Connect.
I chose connect because it’s just so easy to feel isolated these days, and I hope it will remind me to take the time to reach out to friends and family, as well as to connect with all the fabulous people I haven’t had the pleasure of connecting with yet.
I hope that when I’m stuck or circling around trying to figure out my next step, my word of the year will be what I need to move forward. And it will also remind me to connect with myself and what I’m really feeling. To connect with nature and the beauty all around me. To connect with my health and my creativity and laughter and growth. And to remember that when I connect, to always do it with kindness and gratitude.
So that’s my word and I’m sticking to it!
Just in case you’re still looking for some inspiration for 2024, I made the word-of-the-year word cloud (above) below just for you. If you don’t find a word that speaks to you, maybe it will trigger another word that does. You could also save the image so you can pick a different word every day. Whatever works!
If you have a word-of-the-year you’d like to share with me, I hope you’ll respond in the comments. I read them all!
Claire Cook wrote her first book in her minivan when she was 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the romantic comedy movie adaption of Must Love Dogs. She’s now now the New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of 23 books. Her books have been translated into 14 languages. She says: “Take it from me, if you have a buried dream, it’s never too late!”
CLAIRE!!! I love this word cloud! I also do not make resolutions anymore… Your way is more fun and it works for me. One of my words for this year is SAVOR.
I need to savor sweet moments.
DEBBIE!!! I’m so glad the word cloud works for you! Savor is a fabulous word. And so, so true that we all need to savor those sweet moments.
Thank you for the collage and the connection.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the word cloud, Marlene!
Thanks for sharing this, Marita! And thanks for being such a shining example to living your best life!!