Why choosing a word of the year is better than goal setting!

word of the year

“Another year, another failed attempt at achieving my goals!”

I dunno know about you, but when I heard that comment from a woman recently, I totally got it.

Been there, done that.

Goals suck!

Now don’t get me wrong, as a life coach I’m ALL about goals — I just don’t like to call them that!

Lemme explain…

“Goals” remind me of a company I worked for in the mid-90’s.

And the painful reporting process we had to complete each year…full of goals, metrics, KPIs, etc for the coming year!

We had to attend multiple meetings to discuss our goals, and write huge reports for the higher-ups.

a word of the yearI’m not gonna lie…I hated those meetings.

And those reports!

But the worst part?

Once our goals were identified and our reports written, we never referred back to them!

NOT. EVEN. ONCE!

That is, until the next year, when the whole process began again!

(I get hives just thinking about it. Clearly I was not cut out for the corporate world!)

I’ve since replaced the word “goal” with “dream” or “desire.”

Things I actually feel excited about moving towards.

So it’s no surprise that I don’t like setting New Year’s goals or resolutions.

Several years ago though, a friend introduced me to a different kind of New Year’s tradition…

One that totally resonated with me.

Choosing a word of the year.

a word of the yearIt felt less heady (“I must accomplish this!”) and far more intuitive (“ah yes, my soul really wants this!”).

And every year since, I’ve chosen one word to act as a guiding light — to help me move forward, towards more joy.

One year I chose the word freedom.

And all my decisions were based on finding more creative ways to feel free!

Another year I chose connection. Um…a total fluke (it was 2020).

So yeah, focusing on staying connected to my loved ones *that year* turned out to be more important than I could’ve imagined!

This past year (2022) I picked two words…

Surrender and believe.

I put both words on a post-it note on my bedroom mirror.

So I’d be reminded of them often.

Surrender allowed me to relax and let go, whenever I found myself holding on too tightly.

Believe gave me the confidence to keep moving forward, anytime I doubted myself.

For 2023, I’ve chosen a word of the year which represents what I’ve been REALLY craving more of in life!

a word of the yearIf you’re curious to know what it is (or need more inspiration for choosing your own word), click here to watch my latest video.

So what about you?

What are you craving more of this year?

If you could choose one word to guide you forward in 2023, what would it be?

Still not sure?

No worries! I’ve got you covered!

Download my free “guided word of the year meditation” here.

It’ll lead you through a series of powerful questions to help you connect to your intuition and get clear on what you REALLY want this year.

And help you choose a (perfect) word of the year!

No matter what you decide to call them…dreams, desires, goals, or resolutions…here’s hoping you reach ALL of yours in 2023!

Happy New Year!

Kerry xo

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