By Miriam Bernard
Happy January! This month certainly brings its own unique tone, doesn’t it? Not only is it the quiet month that follows the busyness of the holidays, but it ushers in a new calendar year, which for many is a chance to contemplate new beginnings, goals, and intentions. As we kick off 2023, sometimes the unknowns and possibilities hiding in the nooks and crannies of a fresh new calendar can feel daunting. What will become of this year? Will it hold success or setbacks? Some of the answer to that question is up to us and the attitude we adopt heading into a new year.
Even though a few weeks of January have already transpired, we’d like to encourage you to set purpose for your year, whether it be small and focused, or grand and sweeping. It’s well known that many people select New Year Resolutions during this season, but an increasingly popular choice is selecting one or more “Words of the Year” that guide your purpose or motivation. Especially if you or a family member has the added life challenges and joys that a DCC brings, words of intention can serve as a grounding tool to make this year one of your best yet.
In the past few weeks, a few of our DCC community members have chimed in on words and goals they’re using to glean inspiration, and we wanted to share them in hopes of lighting a spark of excitement for all that is to come for you in 2023.
Dennie L. selected “Commitment”, “Confidence” and “Thrive”, and we couldn’t agree more that the combo of these three will provide excellent inspiration.
Bridget R. is going into the year focusing on “Creativity” and “Wellness”, which sound like the makings of a excellent year.
Perry P’s word this year will be “THRIVE”, specifically expressed in all caps, which is a touch we like!.
Sarah M. has chosen the words “Kindness”, “Quiet Quitting”, “Health”, and “Acceptance”. She also shared with us her goals this year, which include college, finding a new job, self-employment, getting better, spreading kindness, and learning more about herself. Commendable goals, Sarah!
Angie M. selected several words for this year, including “Confidence”, “Creativity”, “Thrive”, “Calm”, “Laugh”, and “Wellness”. We hope for all these things for you, Angie.
Even if you find the start of the year to be nothing but an arbitrary concept,research shows that goal-setting, focusing on specific positive words, and taking part in positive affirmations have a optimistic effect on self-view and goal achievement. This means that even if you’re not a “New Year, New You” sort of person, we all can benefit from pausing in the midst of the chaos, thinking about what invigorates us, and placing some specific intention on 2023. If you’d like a little boost, here is a list of words from our recent NODCC Facebook post that may serve as a proper “Word of the Year” for you!
Anti-Grind, Balance, Authentic, Abundance, Commitment, Bloom, Courage, Declutter, Confidence, Devotion, Persistance, Organized, Simplicity, Delight, Embrace, Enjoy, Growth, Reset, Thrive, Creativity, Calm, Trust, Fitness, Friendship, Automation, Empowerment, Efficiency, Mindful, Nurture, Laugh, Move, Wellness
Whether you select a “Word of the Year” or not, set goals or not, we hope 2023 holds nothing but happy days for you and your loved ones. Happy New Year from the NODCC!