Happy New Year! It’s that time of the year to put past mistakes and failures behind us and look to the future with hope and optimism. It’s that time of the year for me to decide on my word of the year (WOTY).
Some people find their WOTY easily. They are very clear about what they want. I, on the other hand, agonise over this decision, thinking and overthinking till I am totally confused.
What I want 2025 to be
I want 2025 to be a stress free, pain free year. I want to market my courses and books and earn a lot from them. I want to become healthier and fitter than I am. I want to reach out to friends I have lost touch with and make new friends. I want to get out of the house more, travel more, teach more, write more.
Why did this not happen last year?
It did not happen because I kept on putting things off. I kept postponing things till it either became too urgent to ignore, causing me and others a lot of stress, or so much time had passed that I didn’t even want to think of it because I felt so guilty and terrible about letting things slide.
Procrastination and fear
As I delved deeper, I realised that I put off things because I am afraid, Yes, I am timid and fearful of doing things, of starting new things, sometimes because I don’t know how to do them and sometimes because I am just too terrified of failure.
But as the saying goes, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”. I know if I let myself fall prey to fear, I am never going to get anything done. I am never going to grow, to learn. I am never going to be that person I see myself as; confident, happy, successful, stress free.
Therefore, this year I decided to close on “Bravely” as my WOTY. I know I won’t become brave overnight, but the more I exercise my bravery muscles, the strongert they will become.
The Plan
Everytime I am tempted to procrastinate or put things off, I am going to ask myself, “What is it that I am afraid of?” If it is because I don’t have enough information and knowledge about how to do something, I will learn what I need to. If if is a fear of failure that is holding me back, I will ask myself what is the worst that could happen if I fail and how will my life be better if I succeed?
This year I am going to change my flight or freeze response to stressful situations. I am going to stand and face it with the support of my kids, some awesome friends, my doctors and my therapist. I am going to bravely ask for help when I need it.
So here I am ready to face 2025 bravely! I wish you a fantastic year where all your dreams and wishes come true. Do share the links to your WOTY posts with me so that I can read them.
Wow! Loved how you came up with your #Woty, Sunita. It’s the best thing to do when you know you need to push yourself out of that zone where you get paralysed and fearful. All the best with the year ahead. May 2025 see you soaring into areas that you’ve always aimed for, Sunita and push boundaries in the best kind of way.
I love the thought and care you’ve put into choosing your word, and even more importantly, the plan on what you will do in the face of fear. Wish you all the success with your year of doing things bravely!
Thank you Shinjini. And thanks for your workbook which made the process of choosing my word easier.
Happy New Year!
Choosing ‘Bravely’ as your WOTY is so inspiring, and I admire your plan to face fears and overcome procrastination head-on. Wishing you a fantastic, fulfilling 2025!
Thank you Kameshwari. A wonderful 2025 to you too!
Love this assertion, Sunita. You’ve got this – and when you don’t, we’re all are only a phone call away. Shine on, you diamond!
Love and hugs.
Thank you for always being there. Your encouragement and support has helped me a lot this last year! God bless you!
Way to go, Sunita! ‘Bravely’ is such an encouraging and positive word to confront the fears and apprehensions that hold us back from being our true selves. You’ve given me so much to reflect on as I work to stop holding back on my dreams and aspirations out of fear—be it of failure or success.
Wishing you a spectacular 2025!
Thanks Vinitha. Remember the dementors in Harry Potter? You just find something to laugh about and they vanish. But, yes, it’s something I have to keep reminding myself ever so often.
That’s the best decision you made for yourself, Sunita. Living without fear is not easy. At least its not for me. So, when someone decides to just live life despite the fears and the worries, and face these two demons bravely, I feel proud of them. So, way to go, Sunita! Wishing you a very happy and a stress-free and pain-free new year!
Thanks a lot Shilpa.