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One Word To Lead Your Year

A Simple Alternative To New Year’s Resolutions

Renee Ismail
3 min readJan 22, 2025
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

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Every December, my business buddies and I meet up remotely. We gather to wrap up the year and then share our plans for the next one.

Screenshot photo last December by author

Back in 2022, I shared about “word of the year” with them. Since then, it has changed our get-togethers for the better.

Each of us picks one word to guide us through the year ahead. This simple word helps us focus on what’s important and motivates us to make positive changes, even when we’re not thinking about it.

Why do we use “word of the year” and not setting resolutions?

There are 2 benefits that I see to this.

  1. It might be a theme or overarching focus for your year ahead — either way, it’s an exciting way to set your intention for the year ahead.
  2. It provides an anchor and encourages you to consciously (and subconsciously) consider this focus word when making decisions — what you want more of and what you want less of in your life.

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Renee Ismail
Renee Ismail

Written by Renee Ismail

I share my 40s journey, managing caregiving, business, and offering YouTube insights for entrepreneurs. https://reneeismail.com

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