At the start of every year I always sit down and come up with a long list of resolutions for the year ahead. I even take out my cute pink notebook, fancy highlighters, and sparkly stickers and adorn the page with inspiration. Typically, after about a week, I completely forget about these resolutions. As a result, I end up feeling like a failure, and not to mention, I wasted a ton of cute, aesthetic stickers on a page that I won’t look at again all year!
I know I’m not the only one that this happens to! Resolutions are hard to keep and a long list of them can be intimidating. If there’s anything I have learned over the years it’s that for me and many others, sticking to resolutions typically don’t work out. I’m in no way suggesting that you shouldn’t make resolutions but I’m suggesting sticking to one word that will define your entire year.
My aunt suggested that I read the book One Word That Will Change Your Life by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page, and wow, what an inspiring little book. I read it last month and finished it front to back in one sitting. This book talks about the power in choosing one word to define your whole year instead of making a bunch of different resolutions that are hard to keep and all over the place.
Now I know what you’re thinking and no, it’s not too late to come up with your word for 2021. It’s never too late! We’re only a month and a half into the year! Now I can probably guess that your next question is probably “how do I come up with my word?” I’m glad you stuck around because I’m going to tell you! Even though I highly suggest that you read this little book, I’ll share their three step process that they came up with to come up with your word.
1. Prepare Your Heart
2. Discover Your Word
3. Live Your Word
To get started with step one, I suggest unplugging from all the noise around you and close your eyes and really envision what you want to accomplish this year. It can be about anything. Look at what you need or what you want. Open up your heart and pay attention to what it’s telling you.
Step two is the most difficult. You’re not going to come up with your word in five minutes. It’s going to take some time. Take a few days and I promise, it will come to you, sometimes in ways that you won’t expect.
Step three is the most important. Once you have your word it’s time to live it. Everyday when you’re faced with a decision or an opportunity, an interaction or a setback, always put your word at the forefront. If you’re living your word then you’ll accomplish so many small achievements which will set you on your bigger path on this journey.
If you were wondering what my word for 2021 is, it’s “achieve.” I’m a very goal oriented person, aka enneagram 3, and rather than listing a set of goals I want to accomplish this year, living out my word everyday will constantly have me thinking about if what I’m doing in the present moment is keeping in mind my word. It also helps to share your word with friends and family for encouragement and display your word in places that you will see everyday. I made a mood board on Canva with my word and I made it my desktop wallpaper and phone wallpaper. That way my word is the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing that I see before I go to bed.
By living out your word today and everyday, you’re shaping your tomorrow, and ultimately the world around you. I hope that this was insightful and if you decide to open your heart and discover your word for 2021, good luck!