We all want to crush our goals and make this year better than the last. There are thousands of articles dedicated to how we can work towards goal creation, lose 10 pounds in our new years resolutions, and become our best selves by completing these exercises to set our intentions for the year. But what if we dropped the lists and focused on one powerful strategy to create the success we seek for the year?
It’s called: ONE WORD. The challenge is to build your year around one word that encompasses all that you want to achieve.
Last year, I was gifted the book “One Word that Will Change your Life” by Jon Gordon, along with a letter and prayer from my friend. The book encourages readers to meditate and prayer, giving yourself time and space to let the word come to you, rather than force a word.
Over a two-week period, I did just that: I sat in the sauna and meditated; I went on runs and thought about what I wanted for 2022. Eventually, the word that kept coming to the surface was: PURPOSE. I was looking for purpose in my life and in my work that would lead me to more contentment and satisfaction in my life.
This year, I took time to reflect on what all transpired in 2022, what shifted, how I leaned into this word PURPOSE and how it might propel me to my word for 2023.
My purpose is to serve my family and my vision in the greater sense is to inspire others to live, love and grow. As I thought about what that meant, how I was going to achieve my purpose for myself, my family, and my community, the word FOCUS kept reverberating.
In a world that is so busy, where content is endlessly poured over us, and literally infinite pages of information exist on the internet, now more than ever, we must focus on what is important. For me, that meant I needed to really focus on my purpose to stay on the right path.
Focus on my family, which means intentional, purpose filled interactions. Quality of quantity. Putting the phone down during family activities and ensuring there is adequate room in the day to come together.
Focus on my business and finding the right clients, not any and all clients. Focus on continued development of technical skills and centers of influence that will help me stay true to who we want to be as a company.
Focus on my new podcast to stay consistent, build a connected and engaged audience in a meaningful way and focus on creating avenues to promote, bolster, and improve the lives of women, wherever they are in their career.
Focus on where my heart leads me and not what I ‘should’ be doing.
Focus on staying spiritually aligned. Focus on what I can control, and letting go of the rest.
No matter what you do in your life or business, it is so easy to get off track, to get distracted, to reach for that shiny new object. The key to success is to focus on the most meaningful things in your life, in your business, and dedicate 80% of your time in that direction, rather than spreading yourself too thin.
Considering the One Word strategy?
It is never too late, so whether you are reading this in January or February, or closer to June, don’t worry about it. Do whatever feels right to you right now. January 1st feels like a clean break, fresh start, but in reality, it is always the right time to grow, shift, change.
And the brilliant thing about One Word, is that you can make it what works best for you. Don’t want to worry about lengthy goals set out? Go with literally just the one word. Write it on a piece of paper, stick it in your purse, tape it to your bathroom mirror, put it in your Outlook calendar for a daily reminder. Bringing the word to your consciousness continually will have a huge impact. What we see and do repeatedly, we become.
Still love writing out a list of annual goals/targets? That works too! As you can see in what I wrote above, I used one word and tied it into specific areas I wanted to really focus on for the year. I also allowed it to inform my very individual and enumerated goals.
This powerful one-word strategy can work, regardless of what form you want it to take, and the most critical component is really making it work for you. Focus on whatever one-word strategy will bring you the results, and let go of whatever Susie next door is doing. We all operate differently, so its not a one-size-fits-all solution.
You are made for more, and living intentionally is one way to find the joy and the purpose that will help you be overwhelming fulfilled. So whether that is with this one word strategy to live into, finding a way to lean into your passion, or focusing on your family, be intentional, today and every day, and see how your world and joy shifts.
Need ideas which One Word may resonate with you? Below are 61 powerful options:
- Abundance
- Align
- Authentic
- Balance
- Become
- Better
- Bold
- Calm
- Commitment
- Compassion
- Confidence
- Daring
- Dedicated
- Develop
- Devotion
- Discipline
- Dream
- Embrace
- Empower
- Faith
- Fit
- Focus
- Free
- Giving
- Grace
- Gratitude
- Grounded
- Help
- Humility
- Integrity
- Intentional
- Journey
- Joy
- Kind
- Learn
- Listen
- Love
- Magnify
- Mindful
- Nurture
- Passion
- Peace
- Persistance
- Play
- Power
- Present
- Progress
- Recovery
- Relationships
- Release
- Reset
- Rise
- Risk
- Service
- Simplicity
- Slow
- Strong
- Teach
- Thrive
- Tranquil
- Yes
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