New Year, New Word
What intentions and words do you want to guide your days in the year to come?
Over a decade ago, I discovered the work of Susannah Conway, a self-described writer, teacher, and cat sofa (ha!). Some of my absolute favorite activities I complete every December are outlined in her free Unravel Your Year and Find Your Word workbooks. As an evangelist of these resources, I have found them to be transformative and love sharing them with others.
What is Unravel Your Year?
Without giving away too many details, Unravel Your Year is a guided process using Susannah Conway’s workbook to reflect on the year as it comes to a close. Before deciding where you want to go next, I always find it helpful to pause and first reflect on where you have been by exploring what went well, what is not working and needs to change, what wins and challenges you encountered, what you want more or less of in the new year to come, etc.
Why is this important? Summarizing it with a quote from Albert Einstein, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” Perhaps this resource can be a key to helping you identify and break free from patterns that have not been serving you. Perhaps it won’t do anything for you at all, but I am skeptical about that. There is only one way to find out, and that is your mission should you choose to accept it. And if you do, I hope it serves you as well as it has me over the years.
What is Find Your Word?
Following or in place of Unravel Your Year, Find Your Word is a companion to this practice and where I find the real magic comes in. While setting New Year’s resolutions may benefit some, I find them to be flawed and ripe for making you feel even worse than when you originally set them - feeling guilt or shame if and when you inevitably fall of the bandwagon? No thanks, I would much rather be more compassionate with myself and more intentional with my choices.
My experience with utilizing the Find Your Word process to choose a word (and sometimes multiple words, or a word and a phrase depending on the year), has been much more positive and motivating. Instead of setting a specific goal that you may struggle to attain, you use your chosen word(s) to set an intention for what you want to experience and feel in the new year.
There is no black and white when it comes to intentions, there is only the gray area where you allow yourself to dream and make magic. Your word can serve as a magnet for your intentions, as well as a companion, guide, and ultimately teacher as you learn what it has to offer you. What you will find may surprise and delight you.
How long will this process take?
The beauty of this process is that there is no right or wrong way to complete it. It is your year, life, and word(s), so you are in the driver’s seat. As a general guide, I personally like to spend 15-45 minutes every day over the span of a week, but you can take as little or as much time as you need.
I once worked through both workbooks in one sitting and later found I prefer taking more time for reflection. One year, I skipped unraveling and jumped right to picking a word. Another year, I started in January and took weeks to choose a word. This year, I followed the structure very closely. I have benefited equally from every approach, and invite you to choose what resonates most with you and change or skip the rest.
What are some of your words?
My selected words won’t necessarily have the same meaning or impact for you, so instead I will offer one example to help get your ideas flowing while you refer to the Find Your Word workbook as your ultimate resource.
For two years in a row, I chose LOVE. I was in a place in life where I was in an unfulfilling job, single and processing some grief and trauma, and lacked the self-love I needed (newsflash, these are all intertwined). With that simple word and intention, and a LOT of hard work and support/resources later, it brought a career pivot that has since opened many doors and aligned me with my passions. It brought stronger faith, not only in God but also in myself and others. It brought healing and a new outlook on love and relationships, including the most important relationship - the one with myself. And ultimately, it brought new love into my life. By the end of that time when I felt ready to choose my next word, I was in a completely unexpected and infinitely better place. Magic. And putting in the work to realize it.
The word cloud image above includes some additional ideas. In future posts, I will share more about my chosen word for 2025 and dive further into my past experiences.
What are some ways to help you remember your word?
Here are a few ideas I have utilized:
Writing it on a sticky note and posting it on your bathroom mirror, in your office, and/or other location where you will see it regularly.
Creating or using another image that includes your word as your computer or phone background.
Creating a photo album on your phone (or physically) with pictures that include or remind you of your word, the feelings you want to embody, etc. I usually do this and name the album after my chosen word. Pro Tip: I also create an Instagram collection and regularly save posts that remind me of my word - turning doomscrolling into ‘intention scrolling’ is an ultimate life hack.
Creating or purchasing an engraved item with your word, such as a stone or piece of wood.
Creating or commissioning other artwork, such as a painting or piece of pottery.
Creating a playlist on your favorite music app; mine happens to be Pandora and by the end of every year, I end up with an eclectic playlist that corresponds to that year’s word. If you are a musician or songwriter, perhaps it may even inspire some new music.
Naming your new pet or newborn child after your word - kidding, maybe? I wouldn’t put it past me, especially if it is a word/name like Grace.
Closing Thoughts
What intentions and words do you want to guide your days in the year to come? If you have done or choose to do this process, I would love to hear about your experience and chosen word(s) in the comments, private message, or by email. Happy New Year, New Word, friends!
Some additional thoughts to consider:
*When choosing a word, it is important to consider the possibilities that you may call into your life; change and personal growth are not easy, and this process does not promise your new year will be either. In fact, most growth comes from stepping out of your comfort zone and doing things that may stretch and scare you. You’ve got this!
The first year I did this practice, I discerned that COURAGE was going to be my word. While I was able to call in and nurture that courage, I also encountered unexpected experiences that taught me challenging lessons I needed to learn to realize that intention. I invite you to take the time to choose wisely and then take the leap, even if it scares you. If any of this sparks your curiosity, I suspect you are already prepared for whatever the journey brings and everything you have to gain on the other side of it.If your chosen word doesn’t feel like it is serving you, there is no rule that says you can’t abandon it, choose a different word, or decide not to use one at all. Similarly, if you find you could use more time with your word, there is no reason you can’t use it for multiple years.
An unrelated resource that has had a profound impact on my journey, particularly with navigating grief, is Susannah Conway’s book This I Know: Notes On Unraveling The Heart. More to come on this topic later!