I don’t take part in New Year’s resolutions because I never manage to meet those goals. I know that about myself and don’t want to set myself up for failure purposely, especially since I tend to do a lot of that accidentally. The one thing I do do is find my “word” each year. Here is my list for the past few years:

2016 – Promisekeeper – to remind me to keep the promises I made to myself. Promises like drinking more water, walking more, etc.

2015 – Choose – to remind me that I am in charge of the choices I make in my life.

2014 – Blessed – to remind myself to remember how blessed I am in my life.

2013 – Grateful – to remind me to be grateful for everything in my life–both good things and the things that teach me something.

2012 – Control – to remind me that I have control over the choices that I make–no one else, only me.

I usually visit Etsy and find a shop that does custom necklaces and choose what will work for that year’s word. Then I hang it from my car’s rear view mirror since that’s where I spend a lot of my “thinking” time. But there are so many options for ways to remind yourself–leave Post-It Notes with your word wherever you will see it throughout the day, write your word on the front of your journal and then use the word to spur your postings each day, write your word on your mirror with a dry erase pen, make a graphic with your word the background on your phone, or if you’re really enamored with your word and want to make it a lifetime word, get a tattoo!

It really does help to choose a word and then keep reminding yourself of your word to keep you on track. The word can be anything you want that means something to you and will motivate you. You can try it out for the rest of this year or plan to start fresh in 2017, but think about seeing how it will work for you and then let me know what word you chose and how you are reminding yourself of it.