There's a really helpful and simple practice for creating the year that you want: you choose a word to center. This word could be a feeling, type of experience, even a color – it just needs to nudge something within you.
(If you already do this, I have one more tip for you below - a way to harness the magic in your word.)
Initially, my word for last year was power. I wanted to rise into right sized, good-hearted, divine feminine POWER – I could feel it wanting to rise in me, too. I especially wanted to take back the meaning of the word itself, because the word power had become associated with those who abuse it or are control-hungry. This power word was different - and felt good.
But then I started feeling these wild surges of power that would actually really burn me out, have me totally combusted, unable to function afterward. (ADHD or my word? lol.) At the suggestion of my coach, I added the word "sturdy" to the front of power - sturdy power. I wrote the words "STURDY POWER" in red at the top of my digital weekly planner (pictured below) and each day I'd ask, "What is the most powerful choice here? What is the most sturdy? Where do they overlap?"
The practice wasn't that explicit for long - the words began to build an inner anchor, and on the days when I was at risk of burning myself out or already depleted, I always had those questions:
What feels sturdy? What feels powerful? And then I'd do that.
So this is your next step once you have a word: create an anchoring set of questions for the year, the month, the week...the day.
Your question are always something like:
What is the most (xyz word) choice here?
What is the most (xyz word) way to show up?
Does this (person/job/vacation/family choice) feel (xyz word)?
Reminder: if you need help choosing your word of the year, or would like to write your way to the vision you most want for 2024, I created a free digital journal download to help you decide - you can find it here. It will ask for your email, just leave the one I already have. I also created a video about how I filled it out - you can watch that here.
And because I know journaling can often SOUND good but be hard to actually do, I created a bunch of prompts to help you connect with both yourself and your family. Find all of the Questions You’ll Wish You Asked journals here.
Wishing you all the good things (and words) this coming year.
xo
Melissa
PS: If you haven't already, comment and tell me what your word of the year is. I'd love to hear what you're calling in. Here's that journal download again:
Here is the gorgeous group of breathers from last weekend. And some feedback about my ceremonies:
If you've been wondering how to let go of the stuff that lives in the "below sea level" part of your iceberg, breathwork can be a path. Ensure you’re on my email list to be notified of the next ceremony. (Sign up at the bottom of this page.)
The Questions You'll Wish You Asked Time Capsule journals are a time machine disguised as a journal. Within it are prompts for parents and grandparents to tell their story, leave valuable wisdom, and create a legacy of love that will outlast all of us. Are you asking the questions you'll wish you had?
Do you know a motherless mom?
I made a few journals just for her. Learn more here.
