What is your empowerment word and why do you need one? An empowerment word is like a mantra—an intention that serves as a guide on how you want to show up in the world, how you want to spend your time, and how you want to be.

For 2020, my empowerment word was hope. It embodied everything I wanted to bring into my work, my personal life, and what I want people to connect with when they read my books. It turned out to be a powerful support for me during the many months of fear, isolation from family, and the sadness of so many deaths during the continued pandemic.

As I look toward a new year and what I wish for 2021, I have a deeper appreciation for how the smallest moment can be joyful. The simplicity of the last ten months has shifted my perspective of how I want to spend my time. In all that I do, I plan to look for or create snippets of joy. That means following my intuition more often and leaving space in my day for spontaneity.

Here’s a small example. On Monday, we had about three inches of snow in the northeast. After I helped clear the front steps and walk, I caught sight of my home.

It felt warm and cozy lit up and cocooned by the pure white snow. In that moment I felt joy—deep gratitude that I had a warm, safe home with my immediate family. My spontaneity came from the decision to take my dogs for a walk (I was already bundled up which is half the process in the winter). They enjoyed the fresh air, and it was a wonderful way to start the week back to work.

How to choose your empowerment word can include some or all of these steps. The deeper you delve, the truer the word will serve you:

· Look back into 2020. If you kept a journal or even look at pictures, what brought you happiness, what did you struggle with, what had you wished you done more of or better, how did you show up, and how did that make you feel?

· Based on the previous year or life goals/intentions, what do you want to bring into 2021—personal, professional, physical, emotional, spiritual, creative?

· What excites you about those areas?

· Start listing words that express how bringing in these intentions would make you feel or describe the effect of those activities.

· What really matters to you?

· How do you want to show up for yourself, family, and community?

· How do you want to spend your time?

· What do you want to let go of that no longer serves you?

Hopefully you’ll get a sense of a theme flowing through all your intentions. Remember to follow your gut. If you come up with a few words, write them down, say them out loud, and decide on one that resonates the most with you.

Or feel free to add an adjective or a little bit of spunk to your Empowerment Word. While Joy is my word for 2021, I also want to add a splash of Goofy.

May your day with filled with Joy and a Splash of Goofy as you create the word that works for you.