If you’re like many, each January you choose a problematic behavior that you want to change. You might even have four or five behaviors you wish to adjust. You resolve to be different, and you might even succeed at resisting the habit for a few days or even weeks! Usually, by February, the resolution is out the door though, and we’re once again left disappointed in our resolve.
A few years ago I decided to ditch my easily quit resolutions in favor of a “word of the year” after seeing a post from a friend about her “one word.” I was excited by the idea and followed suit. The first year my word was ‘joy’ and I cultivated the ability to find positives in all situations, even the hard ones. I choose ‘kindness’ as my word for 2018 and kept it in my mind as I navigated all that came my way. This prompted so many amazing opportunities for me to seek out ways to spread love and kindness, and my year was honestly wonderful. It was also a gentle reminder in my frustrating moments that I want to choose kindness above all else.
Choosing my word for 2019 was surprisingly easy … as soon as I considered it, the word came to me intuitively, but I’ll admit it was a little scary too. Looking inward to see where my discomfort lies, seeking out the idea of who I want to be, and choosing to push through that fear to grow as a mom, friend, and woman was my goal.
Ultimately, I am choosing “growth” as my word for next year’s focus.
For me, setting aside a little time before year’s end and setting clear expectations for myself – really DEFINING who I want to be and what that descriptive word means to me is key. I’ve derived that, for me, growth means taking inventory of the areas in my life where I’m not excelling and searching for ways to develop systems and strategies for getting better. Those areas might end up being housekeeping, developing my business ideas, turning off work at night to spend more quality time with my family or even just drinking more water and honoring my body with a focus on health. I am choosing not to plan too far ahead, but rather just keep growing; in general, my goal.
Once I have my word well defined in my mind, I like to create a vision board that I can keep in view (desktop background, Facebook cover, bathroom mirror, whatever feels genuine at the moment). Having my eye literally on the prize helps tremendously in keeping focused over the next 12 months.
Here are some suggestions to help get your creative juices flowing if you go the way of a one-word focus for the upcoming year:
- Progress
- Balance
- Grace
- Disciplined
- Intentional
- Joy
- Kindness
- Hopeful
- Grateful
- Transformation
- Delight
- Vigilant
- Survivor
- Honor
- Listen
- Persevere
