The Association Blog

Easy way to help guide your choices and actions this year (and beyond)? Use your words.

As part of her New Year’s Rituals for Nonprofit Professionals, thought leader Beth Kanter recommends identifying your key words for the year ahead. The idea is simple—choose a word or words that you will use to guide your choices and actions on a daily basis throughout the year.

Great idea with so much potential, right? Johanna Humbert agrees. The Michiana Humane Society Executive Director recently shared with us how she came upon her word for 2023.

“Last year was chaotic for me, with work spilling over to my personal space,” says Humbert. “Too many animals, surrendered, not enough adopted… Staff kept getting sick, leaving us perpetually understaffed. I was rushing through everything I did, just trying to keep up.”

Not wishing to carry that over into 2023, Humbert reflected on a word to define what she does. “I have chosen the word SLOW for 2023,” she says. “When I start feeling the overwhelming urgency of everything closing in, I sit back from my desk and think, Slow down. One thing at a time. You cannot do it all today. It really helps.”

What’s your word for 2023?

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