SUCCESS & LIFE BY DESIGN

The 4-letter Word of the Year that connects you to your soul

If you’re looking for tips and ideas for your Word of the Year, you’re probably already a convert to the power of this popular practice.

And with good reason – the concept of having a single theme or a phrase that we can use as a touchstone can serve us so well in navigating the uncertainty and unpredictability of the months ahead.

In the past, I’ve used numerology to guide my choices for the focus for the year, and I still do this on a larger level.

But as I was revisiting my notes, journals and insights from the last year as part of my New Year Review process, I looked for clues and inspiration for the right focus for my best possible year ahead.

One journal entry was a response to a question posed by one of my mentors; What do you really want?

The answer that had come through, after digging through the layers of superficial desires, was that what I was most craving was a single feeling; the sense that I am on track, aligned, or as I termed it; right living.

In other words, the life that I sense in my heart is not only possible for me, but that I am meant to be creating, living and enjoying. ASAP.

After that realisation, I noticed that peppered throughout the pages of my journals and notes was a single word, often adorned with multiple exclamation marks and happy dance emojis, and that word was this.

Literally – my oft-repeated single-word mantra of soul-connection was: This.

Or, more often: This! This!! THIS!!!!!

It leapt off the pages, like a beacon of alignment, indicating that, in those moments, on that topic, I was completely on track, on purpose and lit up with the excitement that comes with feeling that we’re exactly where and who we are meant to be.

I view these moments as soul memos, like chinks of light breaking through the clouds to illuminate what is uniquely perfect for us.

It’s a potent display of that all-important Yes! energy that’s such a positive creative force.

To me, that single word represents so much about where I am and what I’ve learned about why I’m here, why we’re all here.

Ie, to create, live and enjoy the life we know deep down we are meant to live.

It can be found in a range of life experiences, where everything feels just right…

This moment.

This life.

This work.

This home.

This person.

This delight.

This purchase.

This decision.

This contribution.

And the extension of all those feelings is this common catchphrase;

This is the life.

I believe this phrase is shorthand for a profound realisation – that THIS is the life we are meant to be living, this is the life we most deeply desire.

It’s a fleeting connection to our deepest nature.

Maybe you’ve also experienced a moment – perhaps on holiday, or when you find yourself in one of your favourite places or with your favourite people or doing one of your favourite things – when you’ve taken a moment to pause, sigh happily, and feel a sense of appreciation for that particular slice of life.

And what are the words that so often accompany such a happy moment of connection to your heart and soul?

This is the life.

Because we know!

We know – at some level, that – yes, this IS the life, this delightful moment is how it’s meant to be.

woman lying by sunny poolside relaxing word of the year blog post

Which is why I’m choosing this phrase as an extended version of my mantra for the new year ahead, so that I can amplify the clarity and joy that’s available in the small moments of delight that occur in every life.

Given the nature of focus, this intention will train my brain to notice even more of these This is the life… moments – which sounds good to me!

And the magnetic power of tuning into the joy and gratitude of this idea will create even more occasions for even more joy and gratitude.

Over to you…

If you’d love a word or phrase to focus on this year, I invite you to scan your life for the words you use when you notice a moment of delight, soul-connection or deep gratitude.

I believe these are markers for the good life, as designed by us.

And an intention to focus on these words – and the feelings they evoke – is a simple way to craft our lives to include more of the delights we’re seeking.

You may also love the idea of This! Or, This is the life…

This is the life I was meant for.

This is the life that’s meant for me.

This is the life I love.

This is the life that’s possible.

This is the life I choose to create, live and enjoy.

If another word or phrase springs to mind when you’re at your happiest, that may be a more inspiring touchstone for you.

And if you don’t know what those soul-connection words are – you have the happy assignment of being on the lookout for your next moment of delight. 🙂

Feel free to practice multiple times before you decide on the one that feels right. (Nice homework!)

If you keep a diary or journal, you could scan your pages from the last year to see if anything jumps out at you. (This is just one of the many reasons I love the therapeutic act of writing.)

And I would LOVE to hear what you choose!

Have fun playing with your Word(s) of the Year – and I wish you so much joy and success in establishing those themes and feelings for the entire year, and beyond.