#219 How to choose your 2020 theme word.
Dec 28, 2019
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
I am not certain if it's an age thing but the truth is that I didn't immediately buy into the "choose a word" theme that was going around a few years back. But I have changed my mind. I find it very useful now.
It started 3 years ago when I chose a theme word for the year. The following year, I decided to choose words for each quarter because I felt that while one word captured the annual theme, there was room for sub-themes.
This year I chose to introduce the one word per month theme into our strategy sessions. It made sense for me so I threw it out there for the group.
How do you come up with the word for the year? The word thing doesn't have to be a solo game but it can be if that fits with who you are. Get it? It's your word, do what works for you. I like to work with a small and intimate group. In a conversation about the year ahead with a trusted group of colleagues, a word will present itself. It will be the "perfect" word for my coming year.
Once I have a word for the year, I break it down into quarterly themes. I don't choose those themes until near the beginning of each quarter. The reason for this is because themes can change and a word may not withstand the test of time. I like to break it down more.
You can use the same approach of having a conversation to see what the theme is for your life or business. Let's face it, this word game is really an autosuggestion for the subconscious. It is a reminder of the energy you want to bring to your project. It is who you are becoming. Some people choose words like COURAGE, PEACE, GROWTH, POWER. I've also used RELATIONSHIP as a theme. It's a word that captures what you are focusing on. In 2018, my year was all about PIVOT. What is your word?
What do you do once your have chosen the word? I like to do a little word art. Something simple and meaningful to me. It's quite private really. I have used Scrabble tiles in past to spell out my word. I like to have my word near so I can look at it before I begin a project. It serves as a check in of sorts. This year I made certain that my word showed up in places where I needed to be reminded of it. I have it pasted in strategic places in my new journal.
Get cracking - grab a friend and come up with your word. I'd love to hear what you come up with.
