One Word New Year’s Resolution! - The Resolution You Will Not Fail

Paula Shepherd Author

In this episode Paula shares why she picks a one word resolution and how you can too!

It’s the final episode of The Confidence Sessions in 2021! As you are winding down into the holiday season, how are you considering what 2022 is going to look like? Is it a long list of goals? 10+ resolutions. In this episode Paula shares why she picks a one word resolution and how you can too!

In this episode we chat about:

Why one word is much more powerful than a long list of new years resolutions.

How you can change your life with just one word.

Setting a one word resolution that you cannot fail.

How to pick your word.

And so much more!

Timestamps:

(01:35) Do others see you as a reckless risk taker when you see yourself as expansive?

(02:30) How other people’s stories are impacting you.

(01:50) Why Paula no longer sets New Year's Resolutions.

(02:33) How choosing one word encourages growth.

(04:00) One word resolutions invite simplicity into your life.

(04:22) How to pick your single word intention for the new year.

(05:10) Paula shares her word for 2022.

(07:11) Reflecting on the past year to find your word for the coming year. 

(08:30) How you can share your word with Paula and her community.

Transcript: 

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

word, feel, intention, decisions, setting, expansive, share, opportunity, momentum, outgrew, podcast, making, today, resolution, observant, year, expand, lesson, choose, love

SPEAKERS

Paula Shepherd

Paula Shepherd  00:01

Hi, I'm Paula Shepherd, I went to college to get a good job and make a lot of money. Back then, no one talked about doing what you love. And while I successfully climbed the corporate ladder, I felt like there was something missing. So I left the seemingly comfortable corporate world at 40 years old for the freedom of full time entrepreneurship. Today, I get to help ambitious women go from entrepreneur to confident CEO of their lives and businesses. I created this podcast to share what I've learned with you to make your journey just a little easier, and to connect you with other incredible business owners who took a chance on themselves and who they are becoming. So whether you're just getting started, are all in for just want to hear a friendly voice. Come on in and sit with us. Now, let's dive in. 

Paula Shepherd  01:02

It is the last episode of The confidence sessions for 2021. And I cannot believe we've made it through another gear amidst a pandemic. So much has happened, personally, professionally, for myself, and I'm certain for you. And as we are winding down the end of the year, notice how I said winding down and starting to consider what the next year is going to look like. I'd like to bring to your attention the way that I approach the new year. And that is with one word. 

Paula Shepherd  01:51

I don't do resolutions anymore. Because I was the queen of setting big lofty goals that had zero substance whatsoever. And I had last I don't know, maybe 30 days at the max and get really excited, build all the momentum. And then I come up with an excuse, or best case scenario, I would set a resolution to do something, and then I would do it. And then what the growth stops. 

Paula Shepherd  02:28

So by setting this intention with this word, I never outgrew it. It was always there, I could always apply it no matter where I was in my year in my personal development journey in my business journey in my life. And here's what happened when I would choose one word ever since I started doing this was probably about two years ago now is like my values, it became both my anchor and my expander. It became the point from which all decisions were made. And so what I did was set one massive intention. Something that felt so much like me, something that I couldn't possibly give up on. Because it was just a word. And while there was so much power in that word, and there is so much power and that word. Behind it was this feeling of simplicity. 

Paula Shepherd  04:00

I wasn't trying to reach some giant financial goal or some weight loss goal anymore. No, I was simply maintaining and making decisions from a one word intention. Now there's a whole bunch of ways to do this. I know that there's there are Facebook communities, there's one word 365 There are books on this, which is how I was introduced to this concept. But the reality is, it's really as simple as thinking about your year, reflect on your year, where were things that you felt like you gave up on yourself. Where are instances where you you wished that you had another go at it because you do it differently.

Paula Shepherd  05:00

What word do you wish was whispered in your ear back then. And that's going to get you to that next level. So my word for 2022 is expand. And every different form of that word, so expansive, expand. And so every time, I have to make a decision, and I've already done it, I've already done it for things in my life and in my business that are going to occur in 2022. I've had to make those decisions. Now I've had to start. I thought to myself, will this help me expand? Or does this feel expansive? And if the answer is yes, if intuitively, I feel like, yes, that does feel expansive, then I say yes. But if it feels like I'm making a decision, and I'm shrinking versus expanding, well, there's an opportunity for me to get curious and investigate and understand the feelings around that. Now, it's really this simple. It's as simple as choosing a word. And using that as your framework as your momentum, as your opportunity to focus on one thing. That one intention, that top of the umbrella intention, right. And so many different lessons are going to come trickling down from that. 

Paula Shepherd  07:05

To how do you choose your word? Well, again, for me, it's looking at what, what felt really hard. What did I resist, and why? Sometimes it comes to you in the form of a little note on a fortune cookie, or it could be a term that keeps coming up, pay attention, pay attention be really observant, you're going to see the same word pop up all the time, you're going to think the same thing all the time. And that's when you know, it's the right word for you. Don't make it harder than it needs to be. Don't change your word 1000 times, stick to it. 

Paula Shepherd  07:56

If it came to you, and it keeps coming up, and you feel it in your gut, you feel it in your heart, feel it in your head, feel grounded in it, then stick with it. The beauty in one word over resolution is that you will never out grow it there will always be an opportunity for you to apply it. There will always be a chance for you to share it and see it as a lesson. And as your tiebreaker for decisions. So as you are moving into 2022 and you're not pushing, right, I don't want to see pushing, I don't want you to I don't want you to feel like this is hard or it has to be hard or you need to work hard. I want the effort to be around what feels good, what feels natural. And what is that word. 

Paula Shepherd  09:13

So I would love for you to share this with me. I'd love for you to send me an email at Paula at the courage blueprint.com and let me know what your word is. Or join us and my Facebook community I am becoming linked in the shownotes come hang out with us and share your word with me. Let us know what intention you're setting. Create some accountability for yourself create some accountability by creating community and connections. One word has the potential to completely change your life. What's your word? Going to be?

Paula Shepherd  10:00

Thank you for listening to this episode of The confidence session. I know there are hundreds of 1000s of podcasts. And I'm so grateful that you chose to spend your time today with me. Head on over to be fearless with paula.com forward slash podcast to check out the show notes from today's episode and grab links to all the amazing goodies mentioned today. Also, if you love this episode, as much as I love making it, make sure you don't miss any future ones by hitting the subscribe button right now. See you next time.

Categories: Mindset, Podcast