What is your theme for the year?

After celebrating, reflecting, and discovering in the planning workshop, I ask everyone to set a theme for the year. 

It may seem like a silly exercise, but it’s not. 

Let me explain. 

 

Why a Theme?

When I ask you to set a theme, I’m essentially asking you to set an intention for the year. I’m giving you a way to prioritize all the shiny objects that will come your way.  

Your theme can represent how you want to feel, what you want to focus on or what you want to achieve (personally or in business). 

It is meant to give you awareness of your ultimate goal/focus for the year. Then, when opportunities come your way, you can look at them and check in to see if they help move your theme/intention forward.  

If it does, consider it. If it doesn’t, it likely should be a pass or something you add to your someday/maybe list (parking lot). 

If you did something every day to move you toward your overall theme, you would create an amazing year.  

How to determine your theme.

In the workshop, we set a theme after celebrating, reflecting, and doing the discovery work. I suggest this stage because you know what you want from the year.  

Therefore, some questions you can ask yourself now to set your theme are: 

• What were some of the wins over the last year? What am I most proud of? 
• How did those wins make me feel? 
• What is working well?
• What is not working for me? 
• What would l like to keep doing or start doing?
• What would you like to stop or change? 
• What other good things would I want to invite into my life?

A theme should be growth/forward-focused. A theme can be one word or a couple, and it could also be a concise, simple sentence. 

Once you have your theme, include it on your goal summary documents, paste it where you can see it daily, and add it to your planner. Make sure you see it regularly to be reminded of your intention this year.  

Then when something wants your attention, ask yourself if it supports your theme.  

Need some inspiration?

If you need some inspiration, here is a list of words you could use. 

Extraordinary

Passionate

Creative

Innovative

Peaceful

Healthy

Balanced

Organized

Calm

Joyful

Simple

Growth

Consistent

Limitless

Adventurous

Powerful

Nurturing

Confident

Intuitive

Focused

Successful

Inspired

Playful

Active

Disciplined

Strong

Easy

Healing

Ambitious

Prosperous

Purposeful

Giving

Present

Abundant

Energized

Worthy.  

What other words would you add to this list?

You are not locked into a theme. In the planning workshop, I recommend reviewing your theme each quarter. It might stay the same, but it might just change.     

A few years ago, my theme was Growth, but around mid-year, I added trust to it, and it felt right. 

Last year my theme was Flourish and Faith.  

This year my theme is Build, Stretch, and Joy.  

What is your theme? 

Our intention is everything. Nothing happnes on this planet without it. Not one single thing has ever been accomplished without intention.

Jim Carrey

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