“We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” —John Dewey

Every great team has a vibe—a feeling you get when you walk into the room (or hop on the Zoom). Some teams buzz with energy and collaboration; others feel steady, focused, or even a little stuck or worn out. Whatever your team’s vibe is right now, here’s a question: What do you want it to be next year?

Want to kick off the New Year with something meaningful (and dare I say, epic)? Host a reflection and intention gathering. A time to reflect on the past year, connect in the present, and set intentions for the future. I’ve mapped out three easy steps and exercises to make it meaningful and fun.

3 Parts to an Epic New Year Team Gathering:

1.What’s Your Team’s Word of the Year?

Choosing a word of the year has become the go-to alternative for those ditching resolutions that barely make it past February. For a few years now, I’ve been picking a word to guide me and it’s been a North Star, reminding me to stay true to what matters. I put my word on a personalized candle from Etsy with the year and highly recommend this purchase! It burns at my desk daily, which means I order a few of these a year but hey it’s worth every penny for the constant reminder! 

Each year, my annual word has carried me to new heights—literally and figuratively. In 2018, courage powered me up Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet in Africa. In 2019, sparkle encouraged me to travel to so many places. In 2023, determination helped me finish my two-and-a-half-year journey of writing my book, Work Life Well-Lived. In 2024, alive led me to a retreat in the jungle of Sayulita where I pushed my mental limitations to grow in new ways.  And now, in 2025, unwavering embodies steady determination, calm confidence, and the resilience needed to stay grounded and focused no matter what challenges arise as I pursue my new goals. 

The magic of a word of the year rather than strict resolutions is that It follows you, growing with you, and evolving with you as you face inevitable changes and challenges. If you allow it to, a word of the year can make a real difference in your life and even on your team. 

How to Find Your Team’s Word

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice.” – T.S. Eliot

Do this exercise with your team because a new year needs new words to spark new meaning.  👇

1. Reflect on the Year: Before you look ahead, take a moment to pause and reflect. What did you learn this year? What challenges did you overcome? What wins do you want to celebrate?
2. Set Your Intentions: Ask each person to write down three words that they feel represent the vibe they want the team to carry into the year ahead. Is it focused? Resilient? Hopeful? Inspired? Daring? Free? Imaginative? Evolve?
3. Vote for the Word: Share your words with the group and vote on the one that feels most aligned with your collective energy and mission. You can have more than one if you’re feeling extra ambitious. 
4. Embody It: Make this word part of your check-ins throughout the year. When you hit roadblocks or feel distracted, come back to your word—it’ll remind you of what you’re working toward.

2. Choose Your Core Desired Feelings 

To take this up a notch, pair your Word of the Year with a concept I love: Core Desired Feelings. It’s the brainchild of Danielle LaPorte in her book, “The Desire Map.” Forget about just achieving goals—what’s important is how you want to feel while and when you achieve them. Do we want to feel curious, light-hearted, connected, strong, or calm this year? 

Through our research at Motives Met, we uncovered the 28 human needs – or motives – that matter most to us at work (needs like growth, belonging, work-life harmony, free expression, purpose, and appreciation).  At the core meeting these motives are about how we want to feel and don’t want to feel at work. When work-life harmony is strong, we feel energized and balanced. When it’s weak, we feel burnt out and resentful. When appreciation is alive and well, we feel valued and seen. When it’s lacking, we feel invisible and replaceable. You can read more about this here.

Daniel Goleman, author of “Emotional Intelligence” says, “The word ‘motivation‘ shares its root with ‘emotion’: both come from the Latin motere, to move. Our motives give us our aims and the drive to achieve them.” When we feel the things we want to feel we are more motivated, healthy, and happy. 

Ask your team:

• What do we want to feel less of?
• What do we want to feel more of this year?

Then narrow down to your 5 core desired feelings that will build off of your word of the year. 

3. Lock In Your 2025 Team Manifesto

A third part of your New Year reflection meeting is to create a team manifesto that you adjust over time. Ask your team, if we could design our own “team manifesto,” a few sentences that celebrate who we are and what we stand for this year, what’s ours? Include your word of the year and 5 core desired feelings and round it out with a few other tidbits, important reminders, commitments, or grounding principles to keep you aligned in 2025. 

Here’s an example:

In 2025 our guiding word is hopeful. We chose this word because it reminds us to look forward with optimism, believe in our collective resilience, and embrace the opportunities ahead after a challenging year with curveballs and unexpected changes. Hope anchors us in possibility and fuels our determination to create something extraordinary together. This year we want to feel positive, connected, bold, confident, and proud.  We commit to positivity and approaching challenges with courage, not taking the easy way out but standing firmly and proudly in our values even when it’s difficult. Self-doubt will be left at the door and we will make bold choices that align with our vision and purpose. Connection comes first because when we are connected everything clicks. Even with deadlines, busy schedules, and distance between us, it won’t stop us from connecting in ways that matter. 

Schedule some time on your team’s calendar to make this happen! Make this gathering an annual tradition and watch your team’s vibe elevate. It’s a chance to reset, refocus, and recommit to who you are and where you’re headed together.