2024 Word of the Year

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Table of Contents

Podcast Description

I’ve only been setting a word of the year for two years, but since then – I’ve seen myself become more intentional with my decisions and they have truly influenced how my year turned out.

This year, I have a new word that I’m extremely excited about and feels SO right for the place I’m at in my business.

In this episode, I’m sharing my word I’ve chosen to guide me in 2024 and what it means to me, along with some questions to help you decide on your word of the year too.

Links Referenced in Episode:

▶ Join the Productive Entrepreneurs Club

▶ Get on the waitlist for Systems Savvy Society

▶ Book a VIP Day

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Episode Transcript

(Note: This is a formatted AI-generated transcript to make it easier for you to read through, but is not an optimized blog post. Please excuse any spelling or grammar errors and filler words – it’s just how I speak LOL)

Episode Intro

I’ve only been setting a word of the year for about two years, but since then I have seen myself become more intentional with my decisions and they truly have influenced how my year turned out.

This year, I have a new word that I am extremely excited about and it feels so right for the place where I’m at in my business. In this episode, I’m sharing my word that I’ve chosen to guide me in 2024, what it means for me, along with some questions to help you decide your word of the year too. Are you ready? Let’s dive in.

Hey, I’m Lucy Reyes, your host of the cheerful productive chats podcast, where I’m on a mission to help online entrepreneurs that like you focus on all the right things and kiss overwhelm goodbye. Here, you’re going to learn strategies that will boost your productivity so that you can scale your online biz and impact lives sooner. It’s your time to shine. So let’s get started..

Stepping Into 2024

Hey, welcome back to the Cheerful Productive Chats podcast. This is officially the last episode of 2023. I am really excited. I have already been thinking about the new year. Like I’ve been thinking about the new year. I’ve been treating everything I’m doing like, oh yeah, we’re stepping into a new year which comes with all of the new plans and new ideas and new projects.

And it just feels like a restart, like a refresh and that’s just really like a nice feeling. And so I have been really looking forward to stepping into 2024.

Looking Back at 2023

But this year has been crazy. It’s been all over the place. And I mean, my word of the year kind of makes sense. Like, it makes sense why this year felt this way for me, but also there’s been so much that has happened in my own personal life.

There’s been so much that’s been happening in the world. And so it’s been one of those years where it seems like everyone is ready to just be done with 2023 and move on to the next year ahead. And honestly, I’m kind of feeling like that too, but I am very proud of this year. I’m really happy with the growth that the business had.

So a few years ago I started doing this “word of the year.” So I had heard about it, I’m like, oh, I don’t know. Like, is it really that big of a deal? Like, I don’t know. I was like, oh, whatever.

My Previous Words

So in 2022, I sent my word of the year to be visible. I was like, okay, well let’s set a word. Right. You know, that is when I did like a big pivot into the productivity space.

And I was like, all right, with this big pivot, like I need to be visible under my new niche. Like I need to be out there, and be known for the productivity and Trello and organization person that I am. And so that was my word for 2022.

And in 2023 this year, it wasn’t a word. It was a phrase. It was let it flow. And I got it from the Disney movie. Let it go. Like the song, the Frozen movie, the song. Let it go, except for me, it was like, let it flow.

And that was kind of me just telling myself, like, “Be more flexible, be experimenting a little bit more, like don’t feel like you always have to go by the books or do what all these gurus tell you to do, like go more with your gut.

And I talk about that a lot in these episodes where I really felt like I was able to let go a lot more. Like I was able to let loose and just kind of go with my gut. Just kind of go with what felt right in the moment. But that did cause a lot of changes in my business throughout the year, but I think it all kind of makes sense.

Like now looking back and having done my review and looking back at everything that I did in 2023, it feels like it all was there to help me make the decisions that I have made recently and go into 2024 with a new clarity, a new focus, which kind of goes hand-in-hand with a new word that I picked for 2024.

So these two words like visible and let it flow, I really did feel like setting that word kind of set the tone for the year. So because of that, I feel like, yeah, like this is something that I actually should do every year. Like it helps you kind of think about, okay, well what happened this year that I want to continue doing next year or what happened this year that I want to change in the year ahead?

Why I Love Setting a Word of the Year

And so I feel like picking these words really does help set the tone for the year, but also it’s a good reminder of the intention that you set at the beginning of the year.

So whenever you have decisions that you need to make, you know, you have decisions all of the time, like all of the times as a business owner, you’re always having to decide and having that word kind of helps you have something to fall back on because you’re like, okay, well, this was my intention for this year. Like, this is what I said I wanted to achieve this year.

So which of these decisions is going to help me stick to that path? And 2022, it was visible. So I did a lot of collaborations. That’s when I really started putting myself out there in bundles and summits.

I even hosted my own summit and it was all because of that, because I was like, well, if I want to get visible, let’s go all out. Let’s do it.

I’ve never hosted a summit before. This will probably be the best way to get my name out there. And so that’s what I did. And so in 2022, I feel like that really set a good foundation for my visibility that I was then able to take on with me into 2023, because the cool thing about all of this, is that it all builds up on each other every single year.

So in 2023, I no longer needed to focus on becoming visible because one, I already kind of got that in 2022. So I already knew a lot of people, a lot of people already knew me, but on top of that, I was already comfortable getting visible and it no longer needed to be something that I needed to work towards.

Like it no longer needs it to be like, oh, I gotta make sure I’m out there looking for bundles or making sure I’m applying to all these summits or whatever the case is. It was kind of just a part of my routine, a part of what I do as a business owner.

And then now in 2023, my phrase was let it flow. And so I feel like I did a lot of experimenting. I mentioned it in the last episode, how there was so much that didn’t go as planned.

And I feel like it was because of this. Like I wanted to be more open to being more open to opportunities and just experimenting and having fun with what I did or do. So I didn’t stick to my plans a lot this year.

You know, I didn’t host the summit that I wanted to host again, but I hosted a bundle instead. I got that experience under my belt. I did other stuff that just wasn’t part of the plan and it feels right. So I feel really good about everything that happened this year, whether or not it was part of the plan or not.

But now going into 2024, it’s the same thing where it’s like, I can see the benefits. I can see the pros and cons to being this way, like reacting this way to start in decisions and for certain opportunities that have come my way, you know, just going with the flow.

And so I can now take that with me in 2024. And I love it. So I love this building on one another for each year.

My Word for 2024

And so my word for 2024, like I was brainstorming it. I was trying to figure, like, I don’t know, like, what do I want in 2024? Like my business model has now changed, but I feel really, really good.

Like going into 2024, I was talking to my husband and I was just sharing how, like, it just feels so right. Like everything that I have done and everything that I’m doing and all the new plans that I have, like, it feels so right.

And my husband knows me so well. Obviously, he knows me so well where it’s like, he knows, like I am, I’m a pretty impatient person. And so every year at my corporate job, I would always get a raise or a promotion, like after a year. And so every year I’m looking for that big promotion, that big step.

And it’s like, well, you’re a business owner now so that doesn’t happen. Like it probably did, you know, at my corporate job. And so that’s something that I’ve had to step back and be like, okay, well, growth is still growth, right. And I can see how it’s all aligning for me. Like it’s all happening at the pace that it’s supposed to happen, because I feel really good.

Like I’ve said that so many times I’m going to stop, but my word of 2024 that I decided, and I was just talking to what my husband and we were talking about what I want to achieve with this business and what, you know, these new decisions that I made will allow me to do, and then hit me.

My word is reach. So my word for 2024 is reach. Because I want to reach more people and make a bigger impact.

I want to reach out to others and build even more collaborations and connections. And I want to reach my goals. I want to aim and reach for the stars. As cheesy as corny as that sounds, that’s how it feels.

It’s like I have big goals for myself. I always have. But they feel more achievable now. And so now with all of the changes that I’ve done, it all seems very more aligned with where I want my business to go versus 2023, which felt like one big experiment.

Let’s see what happens if I do this. Well, what happens if I do this? What about this? Like that was a lot of my vibe in 2023. And now that I’ve experimented with a lot, I can now take all of that with me into 2024 and be like, I know what I want to do now, I’ve tested this. I’ve done these different tests and experiments.

And so now this is what I want to do. And it feels like there’s so much more clarity, which means there’s going to be so much more focus and not to say that I’m not going to experiment because I definitely already have one idea for an experiment that I want to do, but like I said, it all kind of comes with me, but I really want this year to be the year that I reach more people.

Like I felt like in 2023, I kind of stayed stuck at a certain level, which was okay because I’m experimenting, I’m playing around. But in 2024, I really want to push myself out of my shell a little bit more and really go out there.

And this year was also the year that my daughter started school. So she started a little preschool. She’s only two, but yet she’s going to school. It’s like a little private Spanish school. And so I think that really helped give me a lot of time back, but it also created an adjustment for me, a new routine. It also caused her to start getting sick more often. And this happened in the middle of the year.

So the second half of the year was like, Oh, my gosh, like what is happening? And I’m having to readjust and I’m having to, you know, mess with my schedules and now going into 2024, it’s like, okay, well, this is a thing. She’s going to school. I need to be prepared for her to come home and be sick more often.

I need to, you know, be prepared to work whenever she’s at school, but also like she might come home. You know, so now I have taken that experience and in 2024, I can plan around it. So I really, really think that all of that combined is helping me know what I can handle and what I have to prepare for in case something doesn’t happen.

And this year was a really good year to help me gain that experience with everything just being pretty flexible. So I always say to plan flexibly and in detail and I hardcore stand by that decision and that preach that I always share because it’s true.

It really, really does help, but that’s why I also throw the detailed part in there because you still want to be detailed in order to make your plans come true in order to make your plans happen.

How We Can Work Together in 2024

And so, and in 2024, I am really going to be reaching out of my comfort zone, I’m going to be really pushing myself to get out there even more and reach more people in a different way.

And I now have this beautiful offer suite in my opinion. Obviously I’m biased, but for me it feels good. I have this offer suite where it’s like, if you’re a beginner, if you just want to get started, I want to help you. Like, I want to help you get to this place where you can grow your business and not burn out because I personally come from a low-income family.

There was a lot of money, mindset issues in my family growing up. And so I don’t want to be a contributor to that space. And now having my new membership that is, or my Productive Entrepreneurs Club membership that is now a mini, it’s now $7 a month.

I feel really good about that, because that means you can just get in for $7 and I can help you start to see why being more efficient and intentional with your time is so, so important. And then you’re just taking little baby steps towards making those improvements, which will help you get more done in your business.

But then I also have my other offers. I also have some courses that go into detail. If you want to just learn one specific thing, go for it. Go to my shop, the Cheerful Productivity Shop – that’s for you.

If you want me to do it alongside you, I’m going to be opening up my Systems Savvy Society membership in January, which is going to be this amazing membership where we’re going to work on your systems together. We’re going to sit there, we’re going to have some systems implementation calls where we’re going to be able to work on your systems together.

Like, tell me what you’re working on. Let me know what your system includes and let’s figure it out together, right along with all the trainings and this other stuff. I’m not going to get into that cause it’s coming in January, but I have that for additional support, which feels really good.

But also if you just don’t have the time and you just want me to do it for you, there’s my VIP Day. You can book me for a day and I will get as many systems implemented for you as a can.

And I’m a pretty efficient person. I am pretty fast, I’m pretty darn fast at what I do. I can create over five customized systems, just for your business in a single day. And then that means you can just go in the next day and start using them and start getting all the time savings, like just from booking me for a day. So I am feeling really happy about that.

And so my next steps for me personally, are figuring out how to make it all work together. Figuring out my opt-ins, my freebies, my funnels, my content to be centered around all of this.

But I feel like having this variety of offers is really going to help me reach my goal of reaching more people, because I’m now able to talk to more people at the level that they need the support on. So I am really excited about that.

How To Decide Your Word of the Year

And now I’m going to ask you, like, do you have it with a word, a word of the year? Like, do you do this? Do you have a word for 2024?

If you don’t, but you’re kind of like, okay, well I want to know how, like, how could I design a word of the year? Then I have some questions that can help you decide.

So one question that you could ask yourself is what do you want to accomplish in the coming year? So think about your goals, your dreams, your aspirations, but of course you need to keep it realistic.

You can say next year, I want to hit a million dollars and you’re not even hitting a thousand dollars a month, right? You have to keep it realistic because you have to take those steps in the right direction.

So keep it realistic, but don’t make it easy. If you are hitting $100 a month, don’t say $120. Like n. Aim for $500 and for $1000, it’s all very doable. So keep it realistic, but think about what you want to accomplish.

Then it doesn’t just have to be revenue goals, it doesn’t have to be any vanity metrics. It can just be other things. Okay. So think about the other things that you would want to accomplish with your business, both vanity metrics and not.

The other thing that you could do or think about is to summarize what you would like 2024 to look like. And what would that be in one word? So this could be combining your personal and your business.

So if I’m going to give you some examples, if in 2023, you felt like you burnt out, like, you tried to do so much and you just felt burnt out so much. Maybe in 2024, you’re envisioning not burning out, right?

You’re envisioning a little bit more calm or, you know, not jumping on every idea that you see or whatever the reasons were that led you to this burnout. Right. So it doesn’t just have to be like in your business, it can just be your personal life. Like how did 2023 make you feel and how do you want to feel into 2024?

Another question that you can ask yourself is which one word will serve you as a good reminder when considering decisions or when needing to overcome setbacks? So this is kind of what I said earlier about setting the intention, right?

So in 2022, my word was visible. So whenever I was presented with two decisions, it would be like, okay, well, which one of these would make me more visible, right? And so that’s something that you can consider as well.

And then lastly, I think I already said this, it’s similar to what I said before, but like, how do you want to feel throughout the year? So reflect on the emotions and the experiences that you want to achieve.

So that kind of goes hand in hand with what I said about summarizing what you want 2024 to look like. So what do you want it to look like and how do you want it to make you feel?

And then just a tip here, remember that choosing a word of the year is like your own personal word and it’s unique to you. You don’t have to copy my word. You don’t have to copy someone else’s word.

Like you should reflect on how your own year went, how your business went, how your life went and what you personally want to do moving forward. So pick a word that will truly resonate with how you want 2024 to look.

Episode Wrap-Up

Alright, so those are my tips for you, and that is my word of the year. I am super excited that you are here with me. You’ve allowed me to reach you and you are here listening to this podcast. I am so incredibly grateful.

If you are enjoying this episode, then take a snapshot of you listening and share it on Instagram. Tag me at cheerstoproductivity and let me know what your word of the year is. I would absolutely love to know.

And, since this is the final episode of 2023, I want to wish you a very, very Happy New Year. I will be back in 2024, along with some details on my newest program that’s going to help you create some strategic systems that will help you get more done in less time with less overwhelm because 2024, here we come! All right, friend. Bye.

Thank you so much for listening to the Cheerful Productive Chats Podcast with me Lucy Reyes. To view the full transcript and all the links mentioned in today’s episode, visit cheerstoproductivity.com/53. And before you go, make sure you follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening so you know once the next productive chat is released. Talk soon and cheers to your productivity and success!