Why Your 10 Resolutions Failed (And The One Word That Won't)

Trade the noise of ten resolutions for the clarity of one word. We explore how a single intention can act like a compass aligning your goals, calming your nervous system, and making decisions simpler and more honest. Instead of forcing a new identity, we focus on trusting what’s already within you, so progress feels grounded rather than frantic.

I share why my word for 2026 is spacious and how choosing it from embodied knowing changed the way I plan, prioritize, and say no. We walk through a short breath-and-body practice to help you discover your own word, with somatic cues to know it’s right: a soft exhale, a felt yes, a subtle easing in your body. From there, we dive into practical integration, placing your word at the top of your vision board, asking it to guide choices, and using one conscious breath before you act. You’ll hear how this approach engages the vagus nerve and prefrontal cortex, strengthens the gut-heart-head connection, and builds new neural pathways for trust and focus.

We also unpack a key mindset shift: treat intention like a relationship, not a checkbox. When you forget, return. When it challenges you, get curious. Your word becomes a steady companion through messy moments, a way to stay aligned without hustling your nervous system into shutdown. Community matters too, so we invite you to share your word, be witnessed, and borrow the courage of a regulated group to reinforce your practice.

If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a North Star, and leave a review to help others find the show. Want support choosing or integrating your word? For the live class info send email info@liftoneself.com or on social media DM @liftoneself with what’s alive for you this year.

Chapters

• 0:00 From Resolutions To One Word
• 0:45 Why Your Nervous System Needs Direction
• 2:05 The Compass: One Word Intention
• 3:45 Science Of Settling And Trust
• 5:25 Guided Breath And Body Check-In
• 8:05 Let The Right Word Emerge
• 10:15 Embody And Use Your Word
• 12:05 Intention As Relationship
• 14:00 Community, Witnessing, And Class Invite

Transcript

NATNAT BE : 0:03

Raise your hand if you've ever set 10 New Year's resolutions. And by February, you're wondering why you're feeling more scattered than focused. Maybe it's because you don't need a new you. You simply need direction with one word. Hey, beautiful souls. Welcome back to the Lift Oneself Podcast. I'm your host, Nat Nat. And if you're finding value in what we're doing here, please take a moment to like, share, and subscribe to the Lift Oneself Podcast. It helps us reach more people who need this work. Today we're talking about something that might just change how you approach this entire year. We're going back to something ancient, something your nervous system actually wants. The power of one word. This is about giving them a North Star. One word that amplifies everything you're already doing. And also lets you reflect that possibly maybe what you're doing isn't necessary. That one word that gives you direction when you're overwhelmed. One word that lets you pause in any moment and ask, is this serving my North Star or am I off course? What you're doing isn't wrong. It might just need a little more guidance, a little more trust in what's already within you. So here's my truth. My word for 2026 is spacious. And I didn't think my way to that word. I felt it. Because here's what I've learned about intention setting. If you choose from scarcity, from I need to fix myself or I'm not good enough, guess what? It will serve that energy. You'll be working harder, achieving more, and still feeling empty. But when you choose from a place of inner knowing, you're giving your goals and dreams fertile ground to actually grow and thrive. Before 2015, I spent years in the hamster wheel until I learned about intention setting. And it shifted everything in my life. For the last couple of years, what I'm truly learning is receiving. Spaciousness, letting there be room to breathe, to feel, to trust what's already there. That's not a mental decision. That's a nervous system recalibration. And it doesn't replace the work. It gives your work the soil it needs to actually flourish. Here's what I'd like you to understand. When you have like 10 resolutions but no North Star, your nervous system gets confused and overwhelmed. It doesn't know which direction to move. It starts to hear threat like you're scattered, like nothing's ever enough. And from that place, even your best intentions can feel exhausting. But one word, one intention, that guides everything. That's how your nervous system finds coherence. That's how you know which goal to prioritize, which opportunities to say yes to, which path actually serves you. Think of it like this: your goals are the destination. Your vision board is the map, but your one word is the compass. It doesn't tell you where to go, it helps you to trust the direction you're already moving. Here's what happens in your body when you choose a word from that grounded place. Your vagus nerve settles, your prefrontal cortex, that part of your brain behind your forehead, comes align. But more importantly, the communication between your gut, your heart, and your head strengthens. This is where intuition lives, where your body's wisdom can actually speak to you and find the solutions that serve your intention, your better good. You're literally creating new neural pathways that say, I can trust myself. I know my direction. This is teaching an old dog new tricks, not forcing, not hustling, trusting. And suddenly the vision board isn't just pretty pictures. It's a reflection of what you already know is true inside you. Your goals aren't pressure, they're invitation. And you have a simple way to evaluate every single choice. Does this serve my North Star? So let's find your word right now. And I want you to trust that whatever comes up is already within you. We're not creating something new, we're uncovering what's already there. Warning, you need a quiet space where you can really allow this to flourish and serve you. And you're gonna want to get a journal or a piece of paper and pen to write on. So pause this right now while you set yourself up. Welcome back. Let's begin. Now I'm gonna ask you to gently close your eyes or soften your gaze. Now you're gonna take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale out of your mouth, letting it all go. Another deep breath in through your nose. And when you exhale out of your mouth, let it all go.

Speaker 2: 6:10

Another deep breath in, and gently exhale. Take another deep breath in, and gently exhale.

Speaker 1: 6:26

Now, if you can, you're only gonna breathe in and out through your nose.

NATNAT BE : 6:32

And you're gonna bring your awareness to your breath and just allow it to have its own normal rhythm. You're not gonna try and control your breath. You're just gonna be aware of it, allowing it to guide you into your body.

Speaker 1: 6:50

Surrender the need to control, release the need to resist, and just be with your breath and drop into your body.

Speaker 2: 7:08

Now put one hand on your heart, one hand on your belly, hold yourself.

Speaker 1: 7:18

Feel into your body, create safety and trust.

Speaker 2: 7:24

You're safe to feel, you're safe to let go.

Speaker 1: 7:30

Now ask yourself this.

NATNAT BE : 7:33

What does my nervous system need more of this year to support everything I'm already building?

Speaker 1: 7:45

Not what you think you should need.

NATNAT BE : 7:48

What your body is actually craving as the foundation for all the beautiful things you're creating.

Speaker 2: 7:57

Maybe it's rest, play, courage, softness, wild, honest, flow, grounded, trust, abundance.

Speaker 1: 8:15

Let a word bubble up. Don't force it. It's already there. And here's how you know if it's the right word.

NATNAT BE : 8:27

Your body will exhale. You'll feel a subtle softening, a yes, that lives in your bones, not just in your brain. A sense of, oh, that's what I've been needing. If you feel tightness, resistance, or that shit energy, that's not your word.

Speaker 1: 8:51

Keep breathing, keep listening. It's in there. It's possibly the first word that popped up, yet you're doubting it in trying to find a better one. And there may be, it might get refined. However, trust what's within. When your word comes up, write it down.

NATNAT BE : 9:19

And write it down multiple times. Even create images or doodle or draw around it. Strengthen that word. Let it be embodied. Once you have your word, here's how it works with everything else you're doing. Write it at the top of your vision board, not as a replacement, as the lens through which everything else gets to unfold. Use it as your compass for decisions. When someone asks something of you, when a new opportunity appears, pause and ask, does this align with my North Star? If it's a no, you have permission to trust that. Return to it in your body. Before you tackle your goals, before you take action, say your word and take one breath. That's how you stay centered. That's how you move from aligned action instead of frantic doing. And here's the thing most people don't understand about why intentions get abandoned by February. They treat them like goals instead of relationships. A goal is something you achieve and check off. An intention is something you live with, something you return to, something that grows and shifts with you throughout the year and your lifetime. Your word is not a finish line, it's a companion. So when you forget it for three weeks, you don't fail, you just come back. When it feels hard to embody, you don't give up, you get curious. When it challenges you, and it will, that's not resistance, that's teaching. Your word isn't here to replace your dreams, it's here to give them direction, to be lived in, to help you trust yourself when things get messy, to remind you that even though you may not know where the path is, you already know the way. So my invitation to you, choose one word. Let it be simple, let it be true, let it come from what's already within you, not from what you think you're supposed to become. And then use it. Come back to this word several times a day. Check in with your body and your nervous system. Breathe into it, ask it for guidance. Let it teach you what it came to show you. Because this word isn't passive, it's active. It wants to work with you. So bring it to the forefront. Ask it these questions. I'll use my word as an example. What does spaciousness want me to know right now? How can spaciousness guide this decision? Where am I resisting spaciousness? Where I put spaciousness, you put your word. And here's something I've learned. When we share our word and intentions with others and its witness, something powerful happens. When you are surrounded by like-minded people who want to see the best in you, your sense of believing in yourself grows. Because unfortunately, sometimes our closest relationships, even with the best intentions, come at us with fear rather than love and possibility. And that's not their fault. If you're not mindful of what's going on internally, fear gets projected even when people mean well. Scarcity speaks louder than support. But when we take a moment to regulate ourselves, to truly listen to what someone is sharing, and we affirm that with language that supports it, that nurtures and guides it. That's when transformation happens. And sometimes when we share with others, they can witness our own negative self-talk, the patterns we can't even see in ourselves, and help us to shift our perspective, shift our perception, shift the way we treat ourselves. That's why I'm hosting a live class where we'll do this practice together in community. Because when multiple nervous systems align with intention, with a willingness to expand and grow, there's a resonance that strengthens all of us. Check the show notes for details or DM me on any of the socials. My handle is at lift oneself. L-I-F-T-O-N-E-S-E-L-F, if you're interested. Trust that the word will teach you. Trust that your body knows the way. Here's your one action for today. Write your word somewhere. You'll see it first thing tomorrow morning, not as a task, as a greeting, as a reminder that you already have everything you need within you. If you want to share your word with me, DM me on any of the socials. Again, my handle is at lift oneself. I'd love to witness what's alive in you for 2026. And if this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who came to mind. This may be the medicine they're looking for. You can also help Lift Oneself grow by clicking the repost or share button on social media. It helps us reach more people who need this work. You don't need fixing. You need direction. You need trust. You need your North Star. Thanks for being here. Thanks for doing this work. I'll see you next time. Please remember to be kind and gentle with yourself. You matter.