Each year I choose a word or phrase that I think about for the entire year. This word helps me to focus more specifically on my goals. I learned about the one word from my business coach, Sheri Kaye Hoff. Then, I researched on Google to see if this is a “thing” that many people do or if it is just a quiet secret. It IS a “thing”. One word is a website that helps people choose their word. It gives suggestions to see which word resonates with you. One word is so much easier than making New Year’s Resolutions or setting goals. Of course, I set SMART goals each year but the one word helps me focus if I get overwhelmed. Let me share my last three words/years with you as an example of how one word has worked for me.
2016
I choose Fearless as my word. I decided in January that I would move from Northern Virginia to Southwest Florida. I have been planning this move in my mind for at least 10 years. I always said that when my “baby” goes to college I will finally move to Florida. The time had come, Mick, my baby, was 19 years old and out of the house with almost a year of college behind him. I would be fearless, leave a stable job to start my own business, leave the house I had owned for 20 years and find a new house in a state where I had never lived. I will do this! This is my dream. I was also fearless throughout the process of selling and buying a house. Fearless was a perfect word for that year. Every time I felt some fear or doubted myself I would think about my word and my goals and feel FEARLESS.
2017
This year, two words that resonated with me. Outrageous Abundance. I even wrote a blog post about my amazing walk on the beach where I saw my words in action. I select those words because I felt like I wanted to start my life in Florida with such abundance since I had left many friends, colleagues, my work team and neighbors. I did not feel abundant in December of 2016 and hoped to feel more abundant in December of 2017. In fact, this year was such an amazing year for me. It was full of challenges, new opportunities, learning experiences and relationships. I left all jobs behind and started two new businesses; Learning and Reflective Growth and a distributor for Lip Sense. I also took classes to become a better coach and grow my coaching business. I met so many wonderful people from Bright Coach and reconnected with an old friend after 20 years. I joined BNI in Sarasota and can’t believe how many wonderful, smart and motivated people I’ve met. I worked hard to fit into this team and won rookie of the year for my BNI chapter; an honor I treasure.
I’m starting friendships with some extremely talented people and they are helping me and supporting me as I grow my business. I joined ATD Suncoast in Tampa and volunteered for the board where I got a ticket to Crystal City, VA to learn more about my new “job”. I also got to see a lot of VA/DC friends. My most outrageous abundance is my relationship with my new husband, Angel D. Garcia. We have so much love and joy. He supports me and loves me and even goes to see the sunset with me (even though he has it on video – his words, not mine). We are legally starting our lives together with such an abundance of love, fun, laughter and joy.
2018
My word will be Relationships. As a Myers-Briggs, ENTJ, feelings do not come easily to me. I tend to think of the tasks first, then the people. I prefer to concentrate on jobs, calendars and lists. This year is the year that I pour my energy into relationships. I’ve been getting better at friendships for the last 10 years. Facebook has helped me keep current with people I don’t see often. I recently reconnected with Linda Demmer and Kalana Elaster from my college days at Michigan State University. Next, I added five of my son’s Au Pairs to my Facebook and am “watching” them get married and have children of their own. In 2018, I hope to make new friends and keep the old. As the girl scout song goes, “make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold”. My number one relationship to focus on in 2018 will be the relationship with my husband. I will be patient, kind and loving to this man. I will also try to clean as I cook, which does NOT come naturally to me.
In conclusion, I challenge each of you to choose a word that resonates with you and focus on that theme throughout the 2018 year. Good luck and Happy New Year to all.
#oneword #newyear #resolutions #relationships
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