At the start of each year, millions of people scribble down lofty resolutions and head toward gym memberships, productivity apps, or dietary plans. Yet, according to a Forbes Health/OnePoll, only 8% will stick to those resolutions past January. By the 31st, most will have quietly returned to their routines, shrugging off the ambition of a new year.
I know this cycle well because I’ve lived it. For years, I was among the early quitters, those whose January dreams fizzled by February. Then, about seven years ago, I came across an alternative — a simpler, more sustainable practice that has become an anchor in my life. Instead of resolutions, I choose a single word to guide my year.
The word is aspirational, a lens for growth and clarity. Thanks to my artistic wife who creates a new piece for me each year, the word hangs on my office wall as a daily reminder, shaping my decisions and priorities. Where resolutions often feel like rigid contracts with yourself, this word acts more like a compass — offering direction without the weight of perfection.
The first time I decided to try this practice was in 2019. It was the year I joined the Weld Community Foundation as communications officer, leaving behind a long commute to Denver. I had spent years “living above place,” untethered from the community around my actual home, caught in the digital modern life. To ground myself in this new role, it seemed the word localize was what the year was going to be all about. Choosing this as my guiding word was a call to reconnect, to root myself in the networks of donors, nonprofits, and community leaders shaping Weld County. That word transformed how I saw my work and my life, tethering me to this place in ways I’d sorely missed.
In 2023 the word was attention. Inspired by Simone Weil’s observation that “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity,” I hoped to focus on being present — with friends, family, colleagues, and especially my four kids. Too often, I find myself crafting a response while someone is still speaking, caught up in my own thoughts instead of truly listening. The word attention became my cue to turn off the inner monologue and give the gift of presence. Did I succeed every time? Of course not. But the word shaped my year, nudging me closer to the kind of person I want to be.
For 2025, my word is a bit unusual: gossamer. It evokes something delicate yet profound — a spider’s web, a sliver of light, the faintest thread. Before joining the Foundation, I spent 20 years as a professional musician. To me, gossamer captures the poetry of community almost like a song lyric — the intricate, fragile bonds that connect us.
In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, I want to focus on weaving those threads — strengthening the bonds that make our communities thrive. How do we stitch together the social fabric? How do we create spaces where people feel they belong? These are not questions with easy answers, but they are the kind worth asking.
There’s a quote I found this year from John C. Maxwell: “What we focus on expands.” As we step into this new year, I wonder — what might expand in your life if you chose a guiding word? Perhaps this practice, simple as it is, could offer you the same sense of purpose it has brought me.
And if you ever stop by my office, you’ll see the word gossamer on the wall. Now you’ll know why.
Tim Coons is president/CEO of the Weld Community Foundation, a nonprofit that helps donors create charitable funds which strengthen our community through grants, scholarships and program support. He loves the question, “What does it mean to be a true community?” info@weldcommunityfoundation.org
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