Your One Word

Your One Word

What’s with the buzz you see on social media regarding the “one word for the year”?  Well, it stems from book published in 2012 by Jon Gordon and Jimmy Page.  The book is title:  One Word that Will Change Your Life.  I read this book four years ago and it has helped me focus or prioritize.  For me, this hasn’t eliminated goals, but has given me a focus that brings all my goals and roles together with one common idea.

The authors decided that a better way to become their best and live a life of impact was to find one word that would be their driving force for the year instead of creating goals.

A Word that creates clarity, power, passion and life-change.  The authors believe that there is a word meant for you and when you find it, live it, and share it, your life will become more rewarding and exciting than ever.

If you are a person that would like to have a word as your focus for the year, you can start the process at any time. Grab the book, read it and get started!  There are many resources out there to support you.

So, you’ve read the book!  Now what? 

If you’re like me, maybe a word has already risen to the surface for 2018. Or perhaps, you have a list of possibilities but aren’t sure which to choose. Maybe you’re struggling with where to begin or you might not have even thought about it at all yet. 

Wherever you are in the process of finding your One Word, here a few things to consider when finding your word:

Focus on a state of being, not what you are doing.
Your One Word isn’t a reminder of what you “should be doing”. It should inspire how you want to live. Choose a word that will help you become what you want to become.

Be authentic.
Don’t pick a word that sounds good. The word should be a reflection of you personally and resonates with you on a deep level.

Don’t over think it.
It’s simply about identifying the word that keeps coming back to nag at your heart. It should be a word that you see, hear, and recognize the most in your daily life.Make a list of words that come to your mind or appeal to your goals and vision. It can include nouns like peace or joy), adjectives (brave or creative), or verbs (like pause or prepare.

Take some time to look the words up in the dictionary, thesaurus, inspirational quotes, or google them. Look into the meanings and start to remove words that no longer speak to you. Give yourself time to mull over your short list.

Then, take a deep breath and commit.  There’s no right or wrong answers – just follow your heart.

This brings me to my word…. Commitment.  As 2018 dawns, I see that I have dedicated myself to causes and people that I feel passionate about.  I have always been committed to my family, faith and job. But, 2018 brings bigger commitments to causes close to my heart, new committee, professional organizations, appointments, and supporting friends taking on new and exciting adventures.  I am passionate about al the new things that 2018 will bring, and have made a commitment to help others and myself accomplish some goals and amazing things!