What’s your word for the new year?

My word?

Yeah, you know. Instead of a resolution or a goal…what’s the single word that you want to define your actions in 2023?

A single word.

It seems like a lot of pressure to place on a collection of letters, but as we scroll through year-end posts on social media, distilling our hopes, aspirations, and intentions for the new year down to a single word is a trend worth following.

Why?

Because choosing just one word for the year requires honest and careful thought. It demands introspection, pith and clarity. And it leaves us open to possibilities.

For example, a college applicant recently waitlisted might choose patience – she will need it in the coming months. Young professionals changing jobs or seeking promotions might select fearlessness – ready to brave the unknown with newfound strength. Those of us bearing witness to friends or family in crisis might simply pick peace – may it come and may it stay.

For many of us thinking hard about our perfect word, it helps to draw on the advice of others. Here then, in the spirit of giving and straight from the pages of The Epic Mentor Guide, are eight empowering Word of the Year options to consider for 2023:

Image credit: ChloeFlower.com

1. Authentic.

Authenticity is key as we begin this exercise, since only by staying close to (and believing in) our true selves can we begin to plan and grow. As acclaimed pianist, composer, music producer, fashion influencer, and activist Chloe Flower says: “Be authentic and don’t be afraid of the word no. When you’re starting a new sound, it’s especially important for you to believe in it fully, so write and produce music that is authentic to you because that energy and passion will translate.”

Image credit: ExploreThousand.com

2. Community.

I’m not talking here about finding a community (I address that happily in other newsletters); here I mean benefitting your community. “There are lots of people who want to be their own boss, or run a company,” explains Gloria Hwang, Founder and CEO of Thousand, “but there are far fewer who want to use the power of business to help their community and the planet.” Her encouraging words for all of us in the new year? “The world needs more people like you to show up and have a voice.”

Image credit: Lindsay Brown

3. Pivot.

Thinking about a new college major or career pivot? Not just a zigzag, but charting an entirely different course? Listen to what Vallery Lomas, lawyer-turned-baker, winner of ABC’s The Great American Baking Show, and author of LIFE IS WHAT YOU BAKE IT, wants you to know! “If you’re dissatisfied with your career, don’t be afraid to pivot. I left my career as a lawyer to become a professional baker and food personality, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s not too late to make a change and create the life you want.”

Image credit: Travis Anderson

4. Sleep.

Stop laughing - sleep might very well be my 2023 word. “Quality sleep,” notes Shelly Ibach, Chair, President and CEO of Sleep Number, “is vital to your leadership, as it gives you emotional resilience, as well as mental and physical strength. It is a key source of energy, clarity, and confidence. Achieving deep rest on a consistent basis,” she confides, “especially during challenging times, has enabled me to lead with empathy and courage….Quality sleep will lead to a kinder, more gracious world with greater unity and joy.”

Image credit: MorgenSchick.com

5. Kindness.

Shelly’s quote leads me right into our next word option: kindness. Of all the quotes I’ve read extolling the virtues of being kind, Ford model and author Morgen Schick has one of my favorites: “Be kind, but be more than kind, interrupt unkindness!” Interrupting unkindness is not only a potential word (or two) of mine…it might be my 2023 screensaver.

Image credit: NASA Johnson Space Center

6. Adventure.

This is a big one for me, and for so many Être girls, because we are never too old or too young to dive into an adventure. Speaking about her career in space, Anna Fisher, chemist, physician, retired NASA astronaut, and the very first mom in space, remembers: “It was the adventure of a lifetime and a childhood dream come true. Follow your dreams and don’t give up.”

Image credit: LinkedIn

7. Balance.

Being the first mom in space might be an extreme example of work-life balance, but seeking balance is critical for all of us, in any orbit. “Find your work-life balance,” confirms Dee Dee Thomas, Senior Director/Senior Executive Producer at Yahoo Finance Live, and here’s what she means: “Your life will have highs and lows—many of which you cannot predict or change…Define your boundaries, and know that over the course of your career, those goal posts will change. [Y]ou will have to choose between work and life many times throughout your career, and there will always be sacrifice. Just make sure that it is on your terms.”

Image credit: Gregory 'Fritz' Blakey

8. Grow.

Finally, grow. And, importantly, learn when it’s time to move on if you find yourself not growing. “When you feel like you are not learning anymore,” says Dr. Eleni Anastasia Tousimis, Director of the Scully-Welsh Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, “then it is time for the next step in your career to continue to grow.”

From authenticity to pivoting, from balancing to growing, these words signify a range of possibilities worthy of exploring. My wish for you and for young people everywhere as we stand in the holidays and wait for the NYE ball to drop?

Find your word.

Lay it down like a path.

Follow wherever it leads.

Looking forward with anticipation and joy,

Illana

ÊXTRA: Three extra words for 2023 to add to your list: Gratitude - giving it freely to all of the women sharing wisdom with today's girls; Awe - cheering unabashedly as leaders continue to make change that will carry us into a new year; and Love - I'm awash with it right now as grown kids fill my house and music lifts the roof.

To highlight a leader whose mentoring words have meant something to you this year, DM me here to feature her in an upcoming newsletter! Have a question you'd like to ask a LinkedIn leader or a singular mentor moment you'd like to arrange? Same thing - subscribe and DM me...let's make it happen in 2023!