SPARC Members Share Their "Word of the Year"

“Let’s face it—New Year’s resolutions can feel like a lot of pressure. By mid-February, that gym membership is collecting dust, and “eat healthier” starts to sound more like “I’ll try again next year.”

On New Year’s Day, SPARC Senior Advisor Karen McCann McClelland posted the above on the SPARC Connect community forum. Realizing that New Year’s resolutions never led to real change, she decided, beginning in 2019, to instead choose a Word of the Year. “Let me tell you” she says, “it’s been a game-changer.”

Karen’s post explores her experience with yearly words as well as a guide for choosing your own. A Word of the Year is meant to be a “gentle, guiding light” to keep you focused on your personal and professional priorities and help you navigate “decisions, moments of doubt, and opportunities for growth.”

According to Karen, choosing a Word of the Year works for a few simple, but profound reasons:

• Simplicity & Focus – A single word (or phrase if needed) is easy to remember and keeps you grounded. 
• Flexibility – Life is unpredictable, but your word can evolve with you. 
• Self-Reflection – The process encourages you to ask: What do I really need?
• Intentionality – It helps you make decisions that align with your values.
• Growth – Your word becomes a theme for how you show up in the world.

This post generated a fascinating discussion in the comments among members who are choosing their word, some for the first time.

SPARC Senior Advisor David Sullivan found the process challenging but discovered that the word embrace  helps him accept that he can “take the wins, try things out, and not worry so much” rather than overthinking his decisions.

Leahanne Fenton immediately had a word—then immediately second-guessed her choice. She decided to trust her initial instinct and is choosing the word growth to help her move “in the right directions in so many areas.”

SPARC Senior Advisor Bob Rojee chose openness, especially as it relates to embracing changes in our ever-evolving world. “Openness” will help him welcome change, overcome challenges, encourage growth, and build connections. “I used AI to help collect my thoughts with this!” Bob writes. “And who said an old dog couldn’t learn new tricks????”

Joshua Gibson shared the Japanese tradition of choosing a Kanji or word to reflect on the previous year and says that a word chosen for the year ahead can be both inspiring and motivating. His word, passion, will help him remember that by giving his “full energy to each endeavor” he can “achieve great results and create a positive impact on everything [I’m] involved in."

Finding that he often struggles with change, Hugh Squire chose that word to help him envision change as an opportunity rather than a roadblock and embrace it as necessary for professional growth. “Any time something changes it is an opportunity for fresh ideas, new advancements, new people, and new successes.”

Will you be joining many SPARC members in choosing a Word of the Year? For a thorough how-to to help you decide--including possible words and a worksheet in the comments--check out Karen’s excellent post in SPARC Connect.

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