What Is Your Word For This Year?
Edward is a long-time family friend I've known since childhood. Always brimming with new passions and ideas, he's one of my favourite people to have deep conversations with.
Our talks flow from health goals, business ideas, to life updates (Hi Gloria 👋 – thanks for subscribing & yes, he's told me about you 😄).
During our most recent dinner, he asked:
"If you could choose a word for this year, what would it be?"
Your Word Is Your North Star
Edward picks a word at the start of each year – like a new year's resolution but simpler. A word he can remember to guide his actions and thoughts throughout the year.
After years of hard work, he chose his word for 2024: "Indulge".
He travelled to new places, prioritized time with loved ones, and committed funds to start his passion project (a clothing business).
For 2025? He quit his job to run his family business full-time. His word: "Focus".
When asked how it's going, he said: "It's a lot of learning, but I love my work. Lately, I've been hooked on finding creative ways to strengthen our brand."
Whenever he feels overwhelmed by his work, he remembers his word–focus–to stay on track.
His word became his north star.
The way I see it, his indulge year gave him the reset he needed to fully focus on running his family business the following year.
My Word For 2025
The word I chose for 2025 is "Abundance" because I want to embrace an "abundance mindset":
- Be grateful for what I already have rather than what's lacking
- Say 'no' more often – opportunities will keep coming
- Be more generous with my time, knowledge, and resources
Awareness Precedes Change
Self-reflection is powerful. It helps you see what’s working—and what’s missing in your life.
Awareness precedes change. In other words, you can't change what you're unaware of.
Choosing a word as your north star is a simple yet effective way of keeping yourself aligned.
Thanks, Ed!
Thanks for inspiring the ideas in this article. You have a rare mix of intelligence, passion, and purpose, and you always leave me feeling energized and inspired.
I can't wait to see all the great things you'll accomplish. Keep doing your thing 👊!
Do you feel like there's a big gap between your ideal and current life? That's how I felt for years until I took action. Since leaving my full-time job, I've built a career I feel deeply passionate about, made more time for my loved ones, and began pursuing passion projects (like this blog!).
I created a practical guide filled with actionable, research-backed ideas to help you build the life you want – many of which helped me on my own journey.
The guide is free for members—and signing up is free! Join now to get your copy.
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