REACHING UP
LIVING WITH FOCUS
My One Word for 2018
I’ve never been any good at making (or keeping) New Year’s resolutions. For me, resolutions were always recipes for failure (and discouragement). I learned that if I didn’t make a resolution, I couldn’t break it. But, at the same time, I lost the inherent challenge to improve and achieve that resolutions provided.
Several years ago, a couple of friends of mine, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page, launched a new take of the New Years resolution trend when they released their book entitled Get One Word. The book suggested that instead of choosing a resolution (or goal) to attain for the year, I should pick a word that would become a theme for me in the upcoming year.
I was tired of declaring new resolutions that ended in failure. So I gave Dan and Jimmy’s new idea a try. The results were amazing!
One Word For The Next 12 Months
So, last year, (in 2017) the word I chose was INTENTIONAL. 2017 became an amazing, transformative year for me. As I considered my word over the 12 months, I started to think consciously about being intentional in different areas in my life.
First, I was more intentional with my work, then I started thinking more intentionally about my wife and kids. Not long after, I started to think intentionally about my faith, my community and where I served in my church and community. Looking back over the past year, I’m amazed at how much more intentional I was with my time in so many different areas of my life. The benefits are still overflowing today.
“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” ~ Winston Churchill
Now, one year later, I’ve contemplated a new word for 2018. Actually, I started thinking about my word several weeks ago. I wanted it to be a good word; one that would help keep me moving forward.
After tossing around several options, my new word for 2018: FOCUS.
News Flash: I have ADD.
I rubber-neck every time I hear the word ‘squirrel’. It’s exhausting and contributes to wasting tons of valuable time.
I’m excited to see how this word “FOCUS” will help me to eliminate time-wasting distractions and find new levels of productivity in my:
- faith – focus on my dedication to God and my relationship with Him
- family – focus on giving dedicated time and thought to my wife, kids and extended family
- health – focus on making healthy choices and building a healthy lifestyle
- work – focus on tasks and priorities that help move my work life forward
- service to my community – focus on investing myself in ways to benefit or bless others
- recreation – focus on defining specific ways where I can recharge and renew
Thanks to my friends Dan Britton, Jimmy Page and Jon Gordon for inspiring us all to Get One Word.
If you’d like more information, check out their website, http://getoneword.com/
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