2024 word of the year

Written by Daz Burns

What do I want in 2024? What energy do I want to bring? How do I want to show up for myself?

We are in the third week of 2024 ALREADY!

Have the wheels fallen off for you yet?

A few years ago, in 2019 to be exact, I got pissed off with my pattern of letting all my best laid plans and intentions go up in a puff of smoke when the pressure of reality hit after the holi-yays. All those ‘somethings’ I intended to do, just equated to doing nothing except beating myself up for being ‘useless.’

So, with three weeks gone, that means there are 49 weeks left.

To drill it down, that means there are only 343 days left of 2024.

Then, if we weave Oliver Burkeman’s reality check of the fact that we only get around 4000 weeks in our life.

And then I tell you, a new year doesn’t mean that you get a “fresh start” or a “do over” or a “clean slate” or a “new beginning.”

That you are still you.

That your challenges are still there.

That last year’s decisions you made don’t go away.

And that all those years layer on top of each other and don’t get archived like the end of a financial year.

The question is pretty straight forward, what are you going to do with this year’s remaining allocation of 49 weeks?

As always, I recap my previous words of the year:

2019 = Connect

2020 = Hustle

2021 = Brave

2022 = Gumption

2023 = Create

2024…

What do I want in 2024?

I want energy that keeps replenishing.

I want to be a spark that instigates, initiates and illuminates.

I want the mahi I do to be impactful.

I want to believe that when I say I will do something, that I will have no doubt in my mind that I will do everything I can to achieve it.

I want to actually control my controllables instead of having every excuse to explain why I let myself down and didn’t keep the promises I made to myself.

I want to be present and live the life right here, right now.

I want to bloody show up for myself, every single day.

My word for 2024

So, with the drum roll I imagine in my head as you read this, my word of the year is:

L.F.G.

Let’s Fucking Go.

Join me and choose your own word for the year!

Here are eight easy steps to follow:1. Reflect – This is about your previous year, what went well, what didn’t go so well, what did you learn?
2. Look forward to your year – What possibilities and opportunities are out there? Who do you want to be? Feel and visualise what these will be like.
3. Brainstorm a list of words – Brené has a great list of values to get you started, but look widely, have conversations, investigate. Look for patterns and themes in the words you are choosing – what are you noticing?
4. Look at their definitions and synonyms – some words you think you understand but the definition can sink it quickly if it doesn’t align!
5. Review and refine to 3 words – Get your list to three and then test them out, say them out loud, share them with your whānau, how do they feel to say, do your actions back it up? Does it feel natural and comfortable to say?
6. Pick your word – For my fence sitters out there, only one word (not two, or three or four!). When you land on the right one, you’ll know. It will fit with you, with what you want to do, with how you want to feel and it will stir something inside of you. Most importantly, it will align with you. Look for quotes that include your word, if you like them, write them down to refer to.
7. Commit – You need to be 100% committed to your word – share it, say it, print it, keep it front of mind so that it can help you make decisions and drive your behaviour towards who you want to be.
8. Review – Make a plan to check in with how you are going. Your word’s purpose is to be constant throughout the year, to keep you on track and be a quick reminder of where you are trying to go! ake a plan to check in with how you are going. Your word’s purpose is to be constant throughout the year, to keep you on track and be a quick reminder of where you are trying to go!

Rolling with the acronym

Now, normally, I look at multiple definitions of my chosen ‘word of the year’ then blend a few together that I like and make that a guiding principle for the year.

But, my 2024 word of the year is technically three words, and though I am rolling with it as an acronym, the definition is a bit harder to land on.

So, I have done a lot of reading and research to influence what L.F.G will stand for everytime I say it, write it, think it or read it.

A stand out (as always) in my research was David Galbraith, who says “behavior does not lie” and that you should “do what is required today, over many weeks, months and years.”

Not to mention, I said I want to actually control my controllables and DG says “giving and doing your best is in your control.”

So L.F.G!

What does it mean to me?

It means:

No excuse is acceptable.
Getting it done.
Finding and or creating joy in the process.
Digging deeper than the day before.
Not just controlling my controllables, but raising the bar.
Pushing my imaginary limits.
Stepping in, not sideways.
You can do this. Every single thing. You can and you will.

To drill the definition down:

L.F.G = I’m all in, whatever it takes.

For me, I know I can’t “life hack” my way out of my shit habits.

And I certainly can’t keep chasing “easy ways” to strengthen my mindset.

There is also no set path that someone else has taken that will work for me, because I am me and they are them, with different life experiences and daily challenges.

So, 2024, L.F.G!

I’m all in, I’m here for it!

L.F.G!