As we settle into the new year, it can be a challenge to keep up with the resolutions we set for ourselves in the dewy-eyed optimism of New Year’s Day. Things that seemed easily achievable on Jan. 1 feel a bit harder to attain two weeks later, when the cold weather has settled in and the last of the holiday decorations have been put away.

Rather than adding yet another to-do item to your never-ending list, consider abandoning resolutions altogether this year, and adopt instead a gentler, more positive approach: choosing a word of the year.

The concept isn’t a new one (in fact, it’s been around the internet since the mid-2000s) – but it’s evergreen. Choosing one word to express your intentions for the coming year is a way to make the new year what you want it to be.

Adopting a word for the year helps you guide your frame of mind and removes the succeed/fail pressure that a more results-oriented resolution can bring. Choosing a word can help you articulate what you’re looking for and focus your energy – during easy and challenging moments alike.

Sometimes your word might be aspirational, inspiring you to do a bit more or try a bit harder to reach a goal. Sometimes it might be more practical – if you’re exhausted from the demands of work, parenting and just plain being alive in this world, there’s something comforting about choosing “rest” as the word to guide your next 12 months.

What’s the best way to choose a word, and what kind of word is best? There aren’t any rules, really. You could block some time in your calendar to take an hour to complete a workbook that helps you systematically narrow down your options, or you could bundle up and head outside and see what bubbles up as you walk.

If you’re feeling action-oriented, choose a verb, like “move” or “connect”; if you’d like to change your state of mind, consider a word that describes how you’d like to feel, like “peaceful” or “energized.” The sky’s the limit!

Whether you choose to share your word or keep it to yourself is up to you. You might choose to post a little reminder to yourself on your bulletin board or bathroom mirror – a post-it note makes it easy – or you might go further, by creating a vision board or investing in some word of the year merch.

However you approach it, all you really need is yourself, a sense of how you want your year to unfold, and a word to remember.

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