If you're not familiar with the concept - a word is carefully chosen to be a focus for the year. It's not a decision to be taken on a whim. It's only after reflection of your current circumstances (professionally and personally) that a word is selected.
2015 was the first year that I participated. After reading through My One Word by Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen I decided my word for the year would be COMPASS. Several years ago I went through a mentorship in which I created vision statements for different areas of my life. I felt that I had gotten away from those visions and I wanted to re-direct my attention and choices back to those statements. The word COMPASS helped me do that and as a result I feel that my life is now back on track to where I want it to be heading.
As part of my reflection process for choosing a word for 2016, I came across a blog post by @MindaZetlin: One Word Can Change Your Life in 2016: Here's How. In this post, she shares several questions that the authors of One Word That Can Change Your Life posed in their book:
- What do I need?
- What's in my way?
- What needs to go?
- What needs to be done in and through me?
While I can't personally vouch for the book because I haven't read it, it does have good reviews on Amazon and I did find these reflective questions very helpful.
So what did I come up with for my word for 2016? THRIVE. This word excites me; there's a resonance of adventure and challenge within it.
- What will I do because of this word?
- Where will I go because of this word?
- Who will I meet because of this word?
- What will I have to give up because of this word?
- What new skill will I learn because of this word?
- Will I laugh more because of this word?
- Will I create more because of this word?
- Will I pray more because of this word?
- Will I love more because of this word?
This word isn't about success, it's more about shining brightly, all while I continue to grow. Maybe that's a formula I can use:
shining brightly + growing = Thriving
And to make the word even more relevant, it's appropriate for both my personal life and my professional life and wherever and whenever the line between the two blur.
So Cheers to you in 2016! Make it your best year yet!
Offering my BEST to you!
-Bethany.
- Have you participated in One Word before? How'd it go?
- Will you choose a word for 2016? What will it be?
Directions for posting a comment:
1) Choose "Comment As" first. If you don't have a Google/Blogger account, you can choose Name/URL and type in your name, then place the web site that best describes you in the URL (i.e. www.ajusd.org). Or, you can choose "Anonymous".
2) You may need to press "Post Comment" more than one time.
It is always wise to copy your comment before pressing "Post Comment" just in case something happens.
3) Type in the word verification.
4) If you did everything correctly, it will state, "Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval." If you do not get that message, please try again.
5) Many thanks to Tracy Watanabe for these directions to post.
And thank you for commenting!
1) Choose "Comment As" first. If you don't have a Google/Blogger account, you can choose Name/URL and type in your name, then place the web site that best describes you in the URL (i.e. www.ajusd.org). Or, you can choose "Anonymous".
2) You may need to press "Post Comment" more than one time.
It is always wise to copy your comment before pressing "Post Comment" just in case something happens.
3) Type in the word verification.
4) If you did everything correctly, it will state, "Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval." If you do not get that message, please try again.
5) Many thanks to Tracy Watanabe for these directions to post.
And thank you for commenting!
