In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we're replaying our episode about flipping the script on traditional New Year's resolutions.

If you've ever felt like a failure when you didn't hit your specific goals by December 31st, this episode is for you.

I share her personal journey of replacing rigid resolutions with intentional words that guide her year—and how this shift transformed her approach to success, balance, and joy.

Tune in as we explore how choosing just three words can help you make aligned decisions, create sustainable wins, and find more ease in your life.

If you're a high-achieving woman who's tired of the pressure of perfection, you won't want to miss this one!

• The Problem with Resolutions: Traditional resolutions are often too specific and create a pass/fail mentality that ignores all the progress you've made throughout the year. When you don't hit that exact goal (like losing exactly 20 pounds), you feel like a failure—even if you made incredible strides in other ways.

• The Power of Words: Choosing 2-3 intentional words for your year creates flexibility and alignment without the pressure. Words like "active," "easy," "simple," or "fun" allow everything you do to count as a win. There's no right or wrong way to lean into your words—they simply guide your decisions and help you find your "no" when something doesn't align.

• Natasha's 2023 Words—Easy, Simple, and Fun: After a year of making everything harder than it needed to be, Natasha chose these three words to guide her 2023. This practice helped her step away from perfectionism, create better boundaries, make decisions more easily, and reclaim joy in her business and life. The result? More brain space, more fun experiences, and accomplishments that actually felt sustainable.

How to Choose Your Words for 2024:

1. Reflect on 2023

1. What areas of your life feel most stressed or depleted?
2. What do you want to feel more of in the new year?
3. What would you like to decrease or let go of?
4. Consider doing a Wheel of Life assessment to identify which areas need attention (Natasha discovered her "fun" bucket was dangerously low this way)

2. Identify 2-3 Words (Maximum)

1. Keep it simple—more than three words leads back to overwhelm
2. Choose words that represent the opposite of your current stress or the feeling you want to cultivate
3. Examples: Rest, Active, Joy, Simple, Easy, Boundaries, Connection, Presence, Play, Abundance

3. Create Your Decision-Making Filter

1. Use your words as buckets: Does this opportunity/commitment/decision align with my words?
2. If it doesn't fit in one of your word buckets, it's easier to say no
3. This practice helps high achievers get consistent wins without the pressure of one massive goal

4. Build Habits Around Your Words

1. Everything you do throughout the year that aligns with your words...