I started choosing a nudge word to start a new year, I’ve been struck by how quickly positive change has followed. When my nudge word was growth, I started a new job, moved to a new city, and even started graduate school. After choosing the word balance, I adopted a dog, which — as any dog lover knows — forces you to find balance between work and home life, if only to leave the office and take longer walks with your four-legged friend A nudge word is a word that reflects your values, intentions and vision for the coming year.

Here are the favorites, along with a few reader thoughts about why they chose their words. 1. Balance: “Balance feels all encompassing, for peace of mind, being kinder, nourishing my soul and my loved ones. Balance feels like the umbrella I need this year to protect me from the external elements of life.” 2. Resilience: “Resilience resonated more as I went through a divorce and my children left home. I wanted a word that said, ‘I am here, and I will pick myself up and go on.’ ”3. Present: “I want to appreciate my life and all the little moments that happen instead of always thinking about what is next.” 4. Well-being: “Everything I want to accomplish is connected to my well-being.” 5. Thrive: “It will be a prompt to me every day to ask myself what I can do to thrive, specifically for my health, which will then enable me to thrive in other areas of life.” 6. Sparkle: “It’s aspirational. I want to feel brighter and lighter as the new year dawns.” 7. Flourish: “I want to grow. I’m 73 and have so much I want to learn.” 8. Commit: “I chose commit because I feel like it is the anchor word for the changes I want to make in 2024.” 9. “Fun.” I’m saying yes to more social invitations, played chess with my daughter, recently made weekend plans with out-of-town friends, and am planning a real vacation this year, my first in a long time.