The Word For 2023

I have absolutely no idea where the time went and how it’s already 2023. I’ve already been struggling with posting regularly this year. It’s only the first month of the year, though, and I am confident that I will find the balance to keep up with this blog. I am already doing better this year as compared to last year.

All that said, lets get into the actual point of this post. I don’t entirely remember when it was–maybe 2016 or 2017–that I began to choose one word that I would like to encompass my year. I like to choose words that can be relevant to all areas of my life, and I tend to spend months ruminating over several choices I have.

I should also talk about how I choose the words so lets get that out of the way.

1. Throughout the entire year, I take note of words I hear that give me pause. It could be a word that I love the sound of or I hear the word in a moment when it’s relevant.
2. I begin to look through this list by September or October and begin the make the list shorter. By the end of December, I want my list to be about 2 to 4 words to choose from.
3. At the end of December, when I’m doing my yearly review, I begin the process of choosing the word for the next year.

I love choosing a word for the year for a variety of reasons. For one, I love that I can always think about the word I chose in moments when I need a pick me up or a reminder of why I’m making the choices in my life. Again, I try really hard to pick a word that I think will mean something for me in the new year. Second, I love to figure out ways in which I can connect my goals–or intentions as I am calling them–for the year with the word. For example, how can I connect the word I chose for 2023 into my yearly reading goal?

The word for 2023 actually came to me when I was on social media, scrolling between the apps with no real purpose. As I looked over my list of three choices, I felt that this word was the best option. By the time I chose the word, I had already created all of my intentions for the next year, and this word fit perfectly with what I wanted to achieve for the next year.

Without further ado, here is the word I chose for 2023:

In the next couple of posts I’m going to share how this blog is going to be different and what my intentions are for the new year. I mean, previously I used the words “goals” or “resolutions” and this year I am calling them my “intentions.” Either way, I have decided to change several aspects of my life this year and I think that this word is going to be the perfect word to encompass it all.

I am always my biggest critic. I could be the most encouraging person to everyone around me, but I struggle to do that for myself. I am often not as kind or generous to myself as I should be. So, in 2023 I want to nurture myself. I want to nurture my needs and my wants in a way that’s healthy and doesn’t hold myself back. All in all, I am extremely happy with the word choice and the feeling in the air surrounding 2023. I can’t wait to see wha this year has in store for me.

Please tell me if you choose a word for the year. If you do, what word did you choose for 2023? If not, why not? Would you ever consider trying this out and seeing if it makes a difference for you?