Live your life with purpose and intention

Setting yourself a theme for the year is a great way to live your life with purpose and intention. At the same time, it’s also a way to keep reminding yourself of something you think is important in life. A theme will also most likely push you to step out of your comfort zone to a place where you can grow.

• You might want to read: Growth happens when you step out of your comfort zone

For me, a rigid or strict goal in life is not as motivating as a theme or a vision. As a coach and trainer, I have also found that goals can become too consuming. When we start focusing too much on the goal, we forget to enjoy the journey. In the end, when we reach the goal, we just feel empty.

Instead, a theme is more like a guide. It can be linked to your vision, and in a way, your theme sets the tone for the year. Your theme will guide and direct you without limiting you too much.

How to choose your theme and live life with purpose and intention

As you embark on your personal development journey, here is what will happen. As you evolve you will peel away layers as you would peel an onion. As you get to know yourself better, you can take yourself to the next level. And at that next level, there will be new things to learn and overcome. Things that require your focus and attention.

Choosing your theme for the year is a great way to focus your attention on something you want to get good at.

Your theme will be the “go-to sentence” or “go-to word” when your brain asks itself what you want to accomplish. Think of it as stepping out of your comfort zone.

What will be your theme?

To give you an idea of what a theme might be, I have listed mine below. Just to let you know, I sometimes call my theme a hashtag instead. 🙂

In 2018, I chose #nofear

My choice of this word was based on the feeling that I was holding myself back. I knew I wanted to grow, but I was afraid of different things in life. Things that did not make me take the action I wanted to take. Today, a few years later, all I can say is that many of my fears are gone. Not in a magical way, but due to intention and effort.⁠ But at the same time, new fears have arisen, but I know they can be worked through as well.
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In 2019 my word was #leapoffaith⁠

When I was stuck in my mind or in habits I no longer wanted, I needed faith and courage to change. My year was amazing in many ways. As someone who usually avoids conflict, I was brave to face it and even decided to move forward with things that will lead to conflict or drama. ⠀

My year 2020 had one focus: #believe

I decided I need to believe in myself. “I will believe anything is possible, and I can do anything I set my mind to”. Above all, #believe is about believing that life is beautiful no matter what.

In 2021, I put my focus on #think bigger and #amorfati

I knew there was more to life than what I had been living. I had to teach myself to think bigger, to break away from society’s norms of how a person my age and gender should live their life. And at the same time, I knew I had to trust that I could handle whatever came. By the end of 2021, I had resigned and started my own business.

In 2022, my theme was simply #grow

When I looked at my life at the end of 2021, I knew I wanted to focus on growth. Growing my business is about developing myself as a person. Who do I need to become so I can build a growing business? Whenever I felt like I was not good enough or this will not work I knew that I had already promised myself that I would grow. The question then became how can I grow in that particular situation.

In 2023, I will focus on #2.0

What will I be able to accomplish in the coming year? I know I am impatient, and starting a business is more of a marathon than a sprint. I want to keep the big picture in mind while staying consistent with what I am doing. Hashtag 2.0 is about thinking outside the box. What will I continue to do, what do I need to do without, and how do I need to evolve from 1.0 to 2.0? Who do I need to be to move my life and business toward 2.0?

Now that you have read about my themes, what will be your hashtag for the year 2023?