New Year’s Eve

It is New Year’s Eve… some are at work eagerly anticipating another day or two off. Others are eagerly preparing for the festivities or maybe even started to celebrate. Somewhere in the midst of all of the craziness, there is always the talk of New Year’s Resolutions, right?  Most people pick a resolution because of a problem that has plagued them (sometimes for years) and vow to change it. How has that worked for you?

Here is usually how it goes:

January – motivated, committed and on track to keep resolution

February – some motivation, mostly on track

March – motivation gone and Resolution forgotten

Does this sound like you?  I have taken a different approach…

What started as a challenge in 2013 has become a new way of approaching each New Year.   With all that has been happening this past year (personal and business), I am looking for a word to sum up my plan for 2016.

This “One Word” experiment moved me from the long list of changes to ONE WORD. It helped me to take all my big plans, narrow them down into a single focus and thus create a vision. When things got tough, when Doubtful Debbie and Negative Nellie visited; I went back to my ONE WORD and gained focus. It isn’t always easy but it helps me to keep focused on the goals that I had for the year.  Notice that I didn’t say resolutions, I said goals.

Here are the steps I use to finding my word as recommended by “the one word experiment”

Step 1: DETERMINE THE KIND OF PERSON YOU WANT TO BECOME

The first step is to simply take some time and decide what kind of person you want to be at the end of this year. This goes beyond simply being healthier and wealthier, but it must drive deep into your soul. What about the condition of your heart? What about the person that God Himself has created you to be?

Step 2: IDENTIFY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THAT PERSON

Get a picture of that person and then simply identify their major characteristics. Is that person gentle? Is that person generous? What are the qualities of the person you want to become?

Step 3: PICK A WORD

Once you have a list of the characteristics, simply pick a word. There might be fifteen things that you want to change, but you must resist the temptation to promise you will do them all. Instead, simply commit to ONE WORD.

This will provide you with a lens to see the changes you need to make as well as a way to determine whether or not change is actually happening. Understand that this process is hard, but staying focused on your word will help you to struggle in the right direction so that you can actually see God working in your life.

I am still praying on my word for 2016 and I know that God will nudge me in the direction that I need to go before the clock strikes midnight. That ONE word will be my guide as I strive for the goals that I have for 2016 in my personal, professional and business life.

What is your ONE WORD for 2016? Or are you still in the “resolution list” mode? Either way, share them with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!