Yearly round this time, I give you a phrase or a phrase to encourage my new yr, one which I’ll hold with me as a reminder because the yr passes on.

This isn’t something novel. I first heard about this from a good friend who I reconnected with after faculty. He instructed me he really 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 finally 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 maintaining myself in examine.

My phrase final yr was “rejoice” as a result of my poisonous trait is to perform one thing after which instantly begin the following factor earlier than I actually 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) grew to become a mild reminder to assist me decelerate and develop into extra grateful for the issues that occurred this yr. 

I’ll share my 2023 phrase with a narrative. Maybe this may encourage you to pick out a phrase that will help you get unstuck subsequent yr. 😊

One of many hardest challenges…

I ever needed to overcome as an entrepreneur was writing my e book, Will It Fly? Though it was self-published, which meant I might transfer it a lot sooner than conventional publishing strategies, the e book 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 e book 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 e book to be simply pretty much as good, I needed to write similar to him.  

From fascinating scientific research to the informative connections he creates between them, I got down to do exactly the identical, and sadly, it stopped me in my tracks. 

After 3 months of absolute frustration, I give up writing.

“I assume I simply wasn’t meant to put in writing this e book,” I instructed myself.

Quick ahead to six months later. A good friend requested me how my e book was coming alongside, and I instructed him the story. Then he stated the next:

“You’re not Malcolm Gladwell. You’re you. Why are you making an attempt to put in writing like him? Write such as you.”

Gamechanger. 

It appears so apparent years later, however as you recognize, 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 stream. 

This coming yr, 2023, I’m writing a brand new e book. 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 printed 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 e book.

I’ll share extra concerning the e book 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 observe and remind you about the place you’re going?

Write it down and place it someplace you recognize you’ll see it. Right here’s to you and a tremendous 2023!