It’s official. We are at the mid-point of February, the time by which multiple studies tell us that a New Years Resolution (NYR) will most commonly lose its momentum, have achieved very little and will have disappeared in a little cloud of dust. But, is the frequently suggested alternative of a ‘Word for the year’ actually any better at helping us achieve change?

We are continually warned against the tyranny of making new year’s resolutions. They won’t last, won’t step us any closer to achieving life goals and are not likely to have any meaningful impact. No real argument from me. A NYR alone will not make any difference between this year and the previous one. The alternative offered by pretty much everyone on every platform is most commonly a ‘word for the year’. A word that sums up our intention for the year so we can keep reminding ourselves of what we’re looking to achieve. How often did you see people sharing their ‘word’ online and asking what ‘your 2024 word is?”

Ok, here it is… Controversial alert.

The word for the year doesn’t get us any closer to achieving our goals than a NYR. A word for the year sets a nice intention for the year but, just as with the NYR, if it’s left hanging with no connection to a desired future state aspiration, targeted goals, and an associated plan for action it too, will disappear in a little cloud of dust.

The challenge lies in the connection of the NYR or the word for the year to something that is meaningful and supports practical action. In themselves, neither the NYR nor the Word for the year are actually bad. Nor are they any real use alone. They simply tell one part of the story. An example in point from a client recently who expressed a desire to “deal with things more calmly”. A related NYR might be “I will respond to situations with a calmer manner this year”. In the same theme, a word for the year might be ‘Calm’ but neither of these will change anything on their own. Left untethered to goals and a plan, the little cloud of dust once again appears. So, what can we do to resurrect our NYR or Word for the year and make them more useful?

Firstly, given we are mid-February we likely need to check-in with ourselves and ensure that our NYR or Word for the year still holds personal meaning.

Then, assuming that we genuinely want something to change, here are 4 steps for achieving a meaningful change in 2024.
1. Visualize your desired future state. Using What would I notice in myself and others?
2. What goals can I create around making this future state a reality?
3. What actions am I willing to commit to so that I can achieve these goals?
4. What milestones will I notice along the way and how will I know when I am living this future state?
You may like to look at these steps and note where your original NYR or Word for the year sit within this broader plan for successful change.

So, if you are willing to bring some focus to achieving the change you’re after, try these steps and turn your NYR or word for the year into something that will actually support you in achieving your desired future state aspiration.