**All links are at the bottom of the post, footnote style**
Last Year I Discovered the Power of a One-Word Resolution.
It was a life changer.
It was flexible.
It was fun.
And I could easily remember it.
I returned to it over and over throughout the year.
And it kicked my *ss in all the right ways!
Picking a one-word resolution is one of the best ways to keep a resolution going throughout the new year.
In Fact, I’m Still Excited About My Current Year’s Resolution
It’s December that I’m writing this, so I’m still using the resolution I picked last January. I have one more month to go.
What word did you choose, Michelle?
I chose the word “Focus.”
It’s been great!
I love the mindfulness of the word “Focus.”
I love that it helped me focus on my goals and help me block distractions.
I started saying “no” to things that no longer served me because I wanted to focus on more important matters.
I also started thinking in minimalist terms, focusing things down to the essentials.
A One-Word, New Year’s Resolution is a Powerful Tool
“Focus” is such a wicked word, I almost decided to keeping it for a second year, because I blossomed this year.
These are some of the things I buckled down and got done:
1. “Focus” brought a bed time routine.
2. “Focus” brought a daily yoga practice. I now know how to do a downward dog, a standing warrior, and a buttered pretzel.
3. “Focus” brought a better start to my work day. I added a journal practice, a gratitude practice, and a fart consolidation practice. I haven’t honestly succeeded with that last one, but I keep trying.
4. “Focus” brought time for art, music, and beauty in my life. That was huge!
5. “Focus” narrowed the time I spent on email, the phone, social media, and more. Yep, I got no time to talk to y’all. Take a number.
6. “Focus” made time to grow my business.
7. “Focus” cautioned me to cut back on constant researching. (Read my blog post on why constant learning can be bad). (1)
This one-word resolution helped me gain confidence to set and keep my goals. I love you, FOCUS!
I’m sorry, FOCUS, even though you are great, I’m still breaking up with you, so I can get a fresh start for the upcoming year.
I’ve decided to keep the one-word approach to resolutions, because it’s so bitchin’.
How to Avoid Picking the Wrong Resolution
Here are some things to think about when choosing the best new resolution for the upcoming year.
Does it meet your intention?
It’s important that a resolution get you where you want to go, right?
When choosing a new word, pick one that pushes you in the right direction.
Last year, my energy was scattered and everything was tugging at my time. That’s why the word Focus worked so well for me.
Is it flexible?
The rockin’ thing about one-word resolutions is that they have built-in fluidity. You can interpret a single word in so many different ways!
The best one-word resolutions tend to be adjectives. An adjective is a describing word, John.
Choose an adjective that is a state of being, a condition, or a feeling.
Since we’re talking about flexibility, lets examine the word “flexible” as a New Years Resolution.
Here are some things you could get done:
“Flexible” could help you relax when a challenge pops up.
“Flexible” could stretch your legs and arms more often.
“Flexible” could bring a certain ease when navigating your schedule.
When you trade your impeccably-licked-ice-cream cone with your kid’s melty mess, that’s being “flexible.”
If you want to be a “flexible” vegan, you could eat the meat meal your friend serves, and eat all-vegetable meals at home.
Talk about a stress reducing word! This one has it all.
Does it support you?
A goal word can help you to grow or keep you stuck in the mud.
Let’s say you have too much going on. Wouldn’t it be great to have more days where you can feel lazy?
The word “Lazy” might be chill and fun, but does it stretch who you are? Probably not.
Instead, choose a similar word that has a more positive feeling, like “Relax.”
With the word “Relax” You can choose to rest more. You can learn some breathing exercises. You can “relax” your approach to scheduling.
And you can choose not to fret if you’re 5 minutes late to a meeting because “Relax” is your go-to word for the year.
“Lazy” and “Relax” have similar meanings, but are different in usefulness as resolutions. Make sure the one you choose is supportive.
Does it have boundaries?
The word “magnificent” sounds great, but it’s very broad. And phew! It makes me exhausted even thinking about it.
Can you imagine feeling pressured to be “magnificent” in everything you do?
It could be overwhelming to make so many experiences feel “over-the-top.”
Dialing it down to a word that can help shape your moment to moment experience would work better.
A clue to this rule is to decide if it’s achievable. You want it to stretch you, not break you.
Does it feel right in your gut?
Once you have picked a word and have explored it’s meaning, imagine the possibilities and see if they feel good.
Sit with it for a while.
Do a gut check.
Does it feel expansive, challenging, and loving?
Does it make you excited about your future?
Your gut knows.
If you don’t feel good about it, keep looking. (See my post on how intuition can save your life). (2)
WORD! STEP-BY-STEP: Finding Your New One-Word Resolution
Since I need to find myself a good new word, we can go on this adventure together. Take my hand.
1. Make a list of some of the things you’d like to achieve next year
This year I want more of the same focus, but I want to say “no” to more obligations.
I also want to push myself outside my comfort zone. You grow faster there, so I want more of that.
I want everything to feel a little hard, because hard can be good. Like when you’re pushing your muscles to lift weights. It hurts a bit, it gets you sweating, and you have to keep talking yourself into engaging with it.
I want faster personal and business growth.
That’s my list.
2. Think about your own behavior or belief challenges that might be holding you back
This is a fabulous place to give you a clue for an epic New Year’s Resolution.
I’m a bit of a chicken-sh*t sometimes, especially when it comes to drawing boundaries for myself.
I also don’t spend enough money on myself or my dreams, it makes me nervous to hand out those greenbacks.
I want a resolution that pushes me to face those foibles.
2. Choose a word that embodies a mindset that could help you fulfill these goals
Don’t worry if its perfect or not yet.
We’ll explore the words as they come up. It’s a process.
I’m going to start with the word “Hard.”
That might be a good word to explore for my next New Years Resolution.
Ever since I heard the quote: “If it’s hard, you’re on the right path,” I thought that “Hard” might be a good word for a resolution. Life coach Seth Godin may have said that; if anyone knows for sure, let me know.
Another quote that echos in my head is from Marie Forleo. She says “start before you are ready,” which sounds hard too, but exciting. Her book “Everything is Figuroutable” rocks, by the way. (3)
And then there is the Asian belief “If it’s bitter, it’s good for you.” I reflect on this when I eat vegetables. Eating bitter food is hard.
These phrases are rattling around in my brain, so “Hard” seems to embody those and my goals.
3. Look the word up in the dictionary
This might seem dumb, since you already know what the word means. But it will help you see the word in other ways so you can evaluate if it’s the right word for the year.
When I look up “Hard” in the dictionary, it says this:
not soft; solid and firm to the touch; unyielding to pressure; impenetrable; firmly formed; tight
4. Look the word up in the thesaurus
A thesaurus gives you a list of words that have a similar meaning. This can give you more clues about the “flavor” of your word.
Similar words to “hard” have some good and bad undertones.
“Compact, concentrated” are words from the thesaurus that support minimalism. “Firm” supports my interest in staying resolute. So those are a positive in my book.
On the other hand, “hard” can also be “inflexible, rigid, packed, stiff, and rocky.” Yuck. Doesn’t sound too fun.
Other words related words are “difficult” and “endure.”
5. Test the word. Does it “feel” right for your goals?
After all, you’ll be living with this word all year.
Hmmm…when checking in with my gut, the word “Hard” seems too negative to be useful for me. Bummer.
6. Try out a few other words
Look again at the words from your dictionary or thesaurus search. Are there similar words that you can try on?
Sifting through the list again, I decide to explore the word “Endure.”
Endure:
To hold out against; sustain without yielding; to brave; to bear; tolerate; to bear; to face; to weather; to sustain; to encounter; to suffer; to tolerate.
Oh, nice, I like the words “brave,” “encounter,” “face,” “weather,” and “sustain.”
But I’m not thrilled about the words “suffer,” and “tolerate.”
Darn. I’m close, but it doesn’t yet feel right. What other word can I try?
A Great Resolution Takes Time; Don’t Be Impatient
7. Go through the “One Word Resolution Checklist” above and see if the word holds up to closer inspection.
No word will be perfect, but I’m looking for a gem.
I decide to look up “Sustain.”
Bolster; Bouy; Continue; Defend; Preserve; Save
That one sounds promising. But I did a gut check. And frankly, it sounds boring. Blah. Whatever. It doesn’t get my blood moving.
Sigh.
I know I’m in the right vicinity, but I’m not yet landing on the right word. So I review some of the descriptions one more time and land on:
Brave.
Here are similar words:
Bear, challenge, dare, face, risk, venture, support, suffer, withstand, defy.
It means:
Possessing or exhibiting courage; endurance; making a fine appearance; a warrior; to defy; challenge; dare.
Okay, now THAT’s a word worth considering, I’m not in love with the idea of “suffering” but the rest of it sounds great.
Does it meet my intention?
Yes.
I need to be brave to engage in what is difficult in for growth.
I need to be brave on my journey to become a minimalist,
I need to be brave to say “no” to more things that want my attention.
I need to be brave to spend money on myself.
I like it. It really butters my bread!
Is it flexible?
Sure. I can visualize myself as a warrior.
I can choose to be brave emotionally or physically.
I can challenge myself, defy conventional thinking, and be unique.
Does it support me?
Yep. It challenges me to stretch myself.
Bravery is not the absence of fear, it’s doing something in the FACE of fear.
Feel the fear and do it anyway, right?
Does it create some boundaries?
Hmmm…. Yep. To be brave creates a vision of a person who holds their ground, or stretches beyond themselves.
I can use it in my every day experiences. Like braving the pile of laundry when I want to take a nap.
Does it feel right in my gut?
Yes. Yes it does. I like it.
Call me Brave in the oncoming year and I will laugh in the face of danger.
Now need a warrior’s name. Who wants to give one to me?
Live Juicy, Joybird!
Posts
1 Why Your Learning Addiction is Keeping You From Success:
2 How to Follow Your Intuition to Cheat Death or Get Rich:
Links
3 Marie Forleo “Everything Is Figureoutable”
Photos:
Sparkler: Malte Luk
Jumping: Sebastian Voortman
Focus Blossom: Jenna Hamra
Artist: Steve Johnson
Word Scrabble: skitterphoto
Flexible: Oluremi Adebayo
Supportive Crowd: Johannes Havn
Fence: Pixabay
Gut Prayer: Werner Pfennig
Write: Ivan Samkov
Challenges: Andrea Piacquadio
Mindset: Pixabay
Dictionary: Pixabay
Question: Pixabay
Gem: Erin Profacy
Brave: Jaymantri
Seedling: Photomix Company
Bread & Butter: Karolina Grabowska
Warrior: Victoria Borodinova