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Why You Should Pick One Word This Year and Ditch the Resolutions

 

Ditch the Resolutions And Do This Instead – The Power of Picking One Word For 2017

 

As a coach, I’m a big believer in goals, so what I’m about to say may surprise you.

 

Ditch the goals.

Rip them up and throw them away.

 

Or at least tuck them away in a drawer until you do this one thing:

 

Set an intention for this year with one word.

 

Many of us choose goals to fix our imperfections, and while goals are beneficial and help us bring about positive changes, I want to challenge you to dive a little deeper this year.

Choosing one word at the beginning of the year has become a habit of mine over the last several years. I’ve found it to be a meaningful and powerful process.

Every new year reveals an over-arching theme that is unfolding in my life. My one word helps me to articulate what this is and open my heart to press in, allowing it to manifest itself in my life.

One word can reveal a vision for how you want to show up in your life; providing clarity about the changes you desire to make and guiding you towards your deeper needs.

If you reflect, what might your one word be?

Think of choosing one word like picking a mantra. This word you can return to again and again, keeping you on course and focused.

 

Here are 6 simple questions to reflect on:

 

1.   What word speaks to your deeper needs?

Our heart tells us what we truly need. We just have to listen.

Try this – close your eyes for a moment and put your hand on your heart. Ask yourself, “What’s my heart telling me I need?”

What word bubbles up?

 

2.    What don’t you want?

If you’re unsure about what your word might be, a helpful strategy is to reflect on what you don’t want.

What is depleting your energy and dragging you down?

What holds you back and gets in the way of what you want to create in your life?

Now think of the opposite.

 

3.   What word grounds you?

I often get stuck in my head, spinning, it’s as if I’m groping around in the dark trying to find the light. I’m unclear about what to do.

My one word shines the light, brings clarity and makes things less complicated. My word illuminates my focus and helps me get unstuck.

 

4.   How do you want to show up?

Goals are about doing, while your one word is more about how you show up in your life; encouraging you to become more of the person you want to be.

 

5.  What lessons are you learning?

What lessons might God/the universe be trying to teach you through situations or challenges right now?
What I am learning is to embrace compassion each and everyday.

 

Compassion is my word for 2017.

 

My challenge this past year has been learning to accept situations that are out of my control.

For instance, when loved ones have made decisions that have hurt and made me angry. I’ve wanted to lash out and blame others and then I turn on myself.

When I notice my thoughts taking me down this familiar path –  “shoulding,” comparing, and being judgmental towards others and myself, this is a perfect time to pause and remember my one word mantra – Compassion.

This word speaks to my heart like a calming balm. It guides me home to loving myself.

Compassion sets me free to truly love others and myself unconditionally, to accept the reality and the process we all must go through to learn and grow, oftentimes the hard way. Compassion is what I want more of in 2017.

 

What might your word be?

 

What word speaks to your deeper needs right now; a word that resonates with your heart and can help you when you’re stuck? What word describes how you want to show up and become more of the person you want to be in 2017?

one word instead of resolutions

 

 

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