Word of the Year for 2023

For the last 8 years, I have used the week between Christmas and New Year to reflect on my goals for the upcoming year. I sit down, normally with a glass or bottle of wine. I reflect on some of my biggest wins and successes. I think about where I struggled and try to analyze why those struggles were difficult.

I then begin with the end in mind. How do I want to feel at the end of 2023? Next December, when I look at my year in review, how do I want to feel?

Last year my word was LIGHT. I wanted to feel lighter. Not just with weight, but with my energy. I wanted to feel like I was spreading that light and shining bright. I wanted 2022 to feel radiating. I wanted to ignite a passion in myself and others that spread excitement, positivity, goal achievement, confidence, and empowerment to people in my circle.

Once I know what I want, I come up with my action steps to start to put that end feeling in place. What skills do I need to learn? Where do I need to place my focus? What habits need developing? In what areas do I need to grow? What do I need to eliminate? What can I do each quarter, month, week, or day to help me develop that feeling?

This kind of self-reflection is hard. This year, as I am spending time reflecting, I can say I never considered that in order to have lightness, you have to have darkness. I feel like there was a lot of time I didn’t feel light. I don’t necessarily feel like I spread light. I felt heavy. I felt extinguished. There were also moments when the heavy load was lightened. There were even moments when I saw a light at the end of the tunnel, pointing me in a different direction. Almost like the light bulb finally went off. Such is life. It ebbs… it flows. It’s light, it’s dark.

I recently read a blog by Gretchen Rubin (you can read it too by clicking here https://gretchenrubin.com/articles/one-word-themes-for-2023/ ). She too discusses One Word Themes for the year. I like how she purchased things to keep her theme in mind. Maybe I should have had visual light reminders in 2022 to keep me driving toward that end game.

With that in mind, I am looking at 2023. I have ideas about how I want it to feel… and I keep coming back to the word EXPAND.

I want to expand our house.
I want to expand my knowledge.
I want to expand my skills.
I want to expand my network of people.
I want to expand my spirituality.
I want to expand my investments.
I want to expand my willingness to share and contribute.

However, with expansion, there is also contraction. A lesson I learned in 2022 is the ebb and flow… there were moments of light and darkness. I know 2023 will have moments of expansion and contraction. I am ready for both sides this year. I can’t expand without also experiencing contractions. And that is okay. I expect to have to be a little (or very) uncomfortable at times, restricted, confined, bursting at the seams, and tight if I want to see things expand. Hopefully, this expansion doesn’t include my pants size (lol) because that isn’t where I am looking to expand and I don’t want the seams of my pants to burst :).

I am not sure of what photos or trinkets I plan on using to remind me of this idea to expand in 2023. The image that immediately comes to mind are expanded wings- birds, butterflies, or angels. Maybe all three, I haven’t decided yet.

So my question for you and others out there is, how do you want to feel at the end of 2023? Do you have a word? Are you prepared for both your word and its opposite at times? Leave a comment below. I want to know.

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