How a word can change your life
Each year I discover my own personal inspiration for the year ahead by uncovering the word that will be my guide. Over the years I’ve refined the process I use to understand what my word for the year will be – and how it can help me focus on this year’s opportunities.
Last year, my word for the year was JOY – and boy, did it work hard for me in 2020! I can’t tell you how pleased I am that ‘joy’ was in my corner this year. During the lockdowns I was able to deepen a practice I’d created last year to reflect on the things I was grateful for at the end of each day. This made a huge difference to my capacity to draw on resilience I didn’t know I possessed.
When I was restricted to just one hour’s exercise outdoors every day, noticing every single shift in birdsong, every new cloud formation, each welcome blossoming of green shoots and aromatic flowers - all brought me double joy. Not only could I drink in the sights, sounds, textures and smells of the natural world around me, I could conjure them up again at the end of each day.
Joyfully.
Here comes 2021
I’m excited to discover what will surface for 2021 and I’ve just finished redesigning the pdf. guide to help you do the same.
Over the years I’ve ‘recognised’ the word that will be my guide – almost like it’s chosen me. It wasn’t always easy to predict exactly what each would bring, but without fail, each taught me something that made a big difference.
What I learnt..
Abundance – taught me to enjoy what I have and to trust that there will be enough to go round. I accepted that I was good enough to create a new working life and there would be clients enough who were looking for my services.
Grace – taught me to listen to my inner wisdom, pay attention to intuition and what I really wanted from life. It taught me patience and quiet belief when the world seemed to be on a mission to be busy, busy, busy (at any cost).
Lightness – showed me how the much-touted ‘hustle’ wasn’t my style and that just being myself was all I needed to create a successful business.
Soar – this one taught me to take a few risks, expand my comfort zone, all the while believing that I had strengths and experience to build from and that mastery is a work in progress.
Joy – (the sister of gratitude) gave me double guidance, because when I was attentive and grateful, joy naturally followed - even while living through a global pandemic.
And over the years, I’ve understood that when a new word steps forward with designs on me, the ‘old’ words don’t resign! They are still part of my toolbox, deepening my understanding of the world and my place in it.
Why not join me in this lexical adventure by downloading the free guide?
And of course, once you have brought your word for 2021 into your life it doesn’t stop there. I’ve also developed an Explorer guide to help you dive into the power of this word, set goals to bring it to life, create practices to strengthen your intentions around the word, and manage any saboteurs that may get in your way. Just get in touch for your free Explorer guide using the button at the bottom of the page or email me: becky@freestyle-careers.com
I’d love to know the word you discover – and why this offers you such excitement and hope for 2021. Please leave me your word in the comments or just message me to let me know.
May 2021 bring you the joys and rewards you value most - and may you start bringing them to life today.