My Word of the Year 2023: Refinement with Barbara Barna Abel

I wish I knew who came up with the brilliant notion of replacing the traditional New Year's Resolution with one single word to focus on for the coming year. I'd like to thank them. 

Your word is an organizing principle or theme, perhaps even your annual north star, instead of a decision/goal you may or may not stick with (the data says overwhelmingly we don't stick with them). 

I chose refinement because it's the right word for where I am at the moment: making improvements by making small changes that make a significant difference.  

A few important takeaways about choosing your word of the year:

• Make sure your word connects with you emotionally
• Don't get stuck in The Shoulds choosing a word that sounds good but doesn't feel right
• Give yourself permission to change your word if you discover it's not really working for you (being adaptable is key to survival and success)
• Give yourself space to let your word find you (there are signs all around you)
• It's okay to carry over your work from last year if there's more work to be done or you feel you can still go deeper (or revisit an older word)

If you need a prompt to find your word, hit the googles for support. Here are two websites I found with hundreds of ideas: WildSimpleJoy and HappinessIsHomemade.

I would love to hear what word you choose! Drop me a note here and share.

Wishing joy, health and abundance in 2023!