When Last Year's Language No Longer Fits

by Irvine Nugent

"For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice." — T.S. Eliot

The way you described your challenges last year might be what's keeping you in them this year.

Not because you were wrong. But because you've changed—and the language needs to catch up.

T.S. Eliot got it: growth isn't just about doing things differently. It's about learning to talk about them differently. To describe what's happening in ways that open up possibility instead of shutting it down.

I see this all the time. Leaders use the same words to explain the same stuck patterns. "This person is always resistant." "My team doesn't communicate well." "These conflicts are impossible to resolve."

Those stories might have been accurate once. But repeating them keeps you locked in last year's understanding.

The language that helped you survive a conflict might not be the language that transforms it.

Maybe the way you talked about boundaries last year was protective—and needed. But does it still invite connection? Maybe the words you used to describe a frustrating colleague kept you sane. But do they leave room for them to grow? Or for you to see them differently?

This isn't about being inauthentic or pretending things are fine when they're not. It's about recognizing that how we name our experience shapes what becomes possible.

Next year's words won't arrive fully formed. They'll show up awkwardly at first. You'll stumble. Sound uncertain. Feel like you're reaching for something you can't quite grasp yet. That's the point. Growth is clumsy.

As we begin a New Year here are some great questions to be asking yourself:

What story am I telling about a conflict that's keeping me stuck?

How would I describe this situation if I believed transformation was actually possible?

What new language wants to emerge—even if it feels unfamiliar or vulnerable?

Next year's breakthrough won't sound polished. It'll sound like you, fumbling toward truth.