Yearly round this time, I give you a phrase or a phrase to encourage my new yr, one which I’ll maintain with me as a reminder because the yr passes on.
This isn’t something novel. I first heard about this from a pal who I reconnected with after faculty. He advised me he truly tattooed the brand new phrase yearly on himself, to which my response was:
“Is the phrase of the yr this yr, CRAZY?”
I wouldn’t take it that far (plus, wouldn’t he ultimately run out of room?) however the thought of a phrase of the yr has been with me for 5 years since, and it’s a neat little mechanism for holding myself in test.
My phrase final yr was “rejoice” as a result of my poisonous trait is to perform one thing after which instantly begin the subsequent factor earlier than I also have a probability to benefit from the second.
Having the phrase written in my thoughts (and tattooed on a Submit-it Notice by my desk) turned a delicate reminder to assist me decelerate and turn out to be extra grateful for the issues that occurred this yr.
I’ll share my 2023 phrase with a narrative. Maybe this can encourage you to pick a phrase that can assist you get unstuck subsequent yr. 😊
One of many hardest challenges…
I ever needed to overcome as an entrepreneur was writing my ebook, Will It Fly? Though it was self-published, which meant I might transfer it a lot quicker than conventional publishing strategies, the ebook nonetheless took me over 2 years to finish.
Why did it take so lengthy?
As a result of I wasn’t being me.
You see, proper earlier than beginning to write this ebook in 2013, I learn a ton of books from certainly one of my favourite authors, Malcolm Gladwell. As I used to be absorbing his books, I used to be additionally absorbing his writing type.
His books are so well-written, I believed that to ensure that my ebook to be simply nearly as good, I needed to write identical to him.
From fascinating scientific research to the informative connections he creates between them, I got down to just do the identical, and sadly, it stopped me in my tracks.
After 3 months of absolute frustration, I give up writing.
“I suppose I simply wasn’t meant to jot down this ebook,” I advised myself.
Quick ahead to six months later. A pal requested me how my ebook was coming alongside, and I advised him the story. Then he mentioned the next:
“You’re not Malcolm Gladwell. You’re you. Why are you making an attempt to jot down like him? Write such as you.”
Gamechanger.
It appears so apparent years later, however as you understand, it’s straightforward to fall into these traps.
Quickly after that dialogue, and likewise with the assistance of a writing coach I employed, Azul Terronez, I used to be writing like me, and the phrases began to circulate.
This coming yr, 2023, I’m writing a brand new ebook. This time, it’s with a conventional writer, and as a substitute of placing the “it have to be like all the opposite nice historically revealed books on the market” spin on it, I NEED to proceed to be my genuine self throughout all of my work, particularly right here with this new ebook.
I’ll share extra concerning the ebook later. For now, that is my phrase of the yr to information me all through 2023:
Genuine.
Your Name to Motion
Now your flip. What’s a phrase to softly nudge you all through subsequent yr, to maintain you on monitor and remind you about the place you’re going?
Write it down and place it someplace you understand you’ll see it. Right here’s to you and an incredible 2023!
