It’s the last day of 2017. Did you achieve what you wanted to achieve this year? More importantly, did you BECOME a better person? Instead of setting resolutions in 2018, I challenge you to find ONE WORD that will guide your path in all areas of life in the year to come. Resolutions get stale, but a word projects an energy that can be renewed at any time.A single word can provide clarity and act as a driving force and vision for change.
I’ve been doing this for the past few years now, and I believe this method has a much bigger impact than any resolution can have. In 2016, my word was strength. I had just lost my dad to cancer and was also training for a marathon, so emotional and physical strength was what I wanted to draw upon. In 2017, my word was REFINE. I selected that one because I wanted to get better at the little things in life, the day-to-day processes that seemed to consume my life and often bog me down.
This year, I hadn’t really thought much about my word until my husband brought it up. He announced his word to me a few days ago: KINDNESS. After that, I put the whole thing out of my mind. I wasn’t ready to think about my word yet… at all. In fact, I’ve been feeling a little burned out on anything related to accomplishments lately. I want to just BE. But yesterday after reading some of Giordana Toccaceli post, my word came to me quite by accident. I didn’t find my word. My word found ME.
A little bit of background: Lately, I’ve been feeling a little at loose ends in so many areas of my life. A little bit directionless. Some of my major goals and accomplishments have been checked off the list, but the older I get the more I realize that isn’t what life is about. It’s not what you do that really matters, it’s who you become in the process.
Yesterday when I got out of the shower, I was drawn to looking at a little sign I have on the wall. I got it last summer. I put it up, and since then it’s pretty much just blended into the background of the walls. It’s a light blue sign with a map on it along with the phrase “Never Stop Exploring”. That’s when my word jumped out at me.
The world is always uncertain, but through exploring new things, developing new thoughts practices, and being open to change that we find growth. In 2018 I want to be truly open to new things. I want to EXPLORE. It’s my word of the year for 2018.
If you want your life to change, you can do it with just one word. Just as everyone’s life and situation is different, everyone’s word is different. There are no right or wrong choices. I would encourage you to read One Word That Can Change Your Life to learn more about this concept. It’s a quick read, just an hour; but it has the power to greatly impact your life for the better!