What's your word for the year?
Last year, a mentor of mine suggested that instead of a long list of New Year's resolutions, I think about adopting a single word to focus on for the year. Without hesitating, I threw out "peace" as my word. I didn't really put much thought into the decision, but the word served me well. Obviously there's not a whole lot I can do in the way of changing intricate global policies, but I figured there was a TON I could do in my family life and in my relationships to foster the ideal of peace. Also, while "peace" sounds like a weak cop-out, I often found myself having to move into perceived conflict (i.e. having tough conversations, asking that scariest of questions "what's wrong"?) to achieve true peace. After living with this idea for a year, it hasn't exactly become second nature, but it's become pretty well ingrained.
With a new year, I'm going for a new word. In many areas of my life, things feel, well, stalled, for lack of a better word. I've moved (back) to a new city but still don't have a permanent home. My creativity, which at other times in my life has felt like a bottomless well, has slowed to a trickle. When in doubt, use a sports analogy. So I've decided to incorporate the football idea of "forward progress", or in a word "progress". While I can't sit down and write an album's worth of songs in one sitting (well, maybe I could. Neil Young did it.), I can work on a song title. I can't go out and win a marathon today, but I can make sure I run for half an hour. It's a little more than Bill Murray's Baby Steps, yet still feels quite feasible. We'll see how it pans out.
What's yours?
I just fell asleep with my head on my desk and my fingers numb from the weight, so the first thing that came to mind on reading this was "awaken". It pretty much does sum up where I've been vs. where I need to be.
God's blesssings on your endeavor to "progress."
Posted by: Melanie | January 19, 2007 at 11:39 PM
Leadership. I think I'm being called to it. If I'm right, it will take sacrifice, work, and the grace of God to get it right. And if I'm not being called to it at the firm I'm at, prepping for it can only prepare me for the role somewhere else.
Posted by: Risha | January 16, 2007 at 12:43 AM
My word for the year is PRODIGIOUS because everything I want to accomplish this year, I want to do in a huge and astonishing way. So many times I find myself either quitting, not doing exactly what I say I'm going to do, or doing it half-way.
Posted by: Dustin | January 15, 2007 at 11:50 PM
I think I'll go with JOY, because I found myself choosing grouchiness too often last year. I also want to say that What About Bob is Bill Murray's greatest work and is quoted far too infrequently. So, thanks for that! I knew I liked you. How about "Is this hand-shucked?" for a song title?
Posted by: Amy | January 15, 2007 at 07:41 PM
LEARN! I want to learn something more, something new. Not perhaps what society deems important to learn either...just something that catches my interest. I want to LEARN!
Posted by: Kenny | January 15, 2007 at 12:49 PM
This is a very interesting idea. I have trouble accomplishing tasks because I struggle with making decisions or making myself act. There are many times I have thought about doing things, but have let opportunities slip by me. So my word for 2007 will be ACTION.
Thanks!
Posted by: Beth | January 15, 2007 at 12:44 PM
My word for 2007 is MISSION. I didn't do resolutions this year, instead I did a mission statement.
I found this site
http://www.franklincovey.com/fc/library_and_resources/mission_statement_builder
Posted by: MrsJason | January 15, 2007 at 11:34 AM
Interesting....
My word is going to be "focus". I have the tendency to do ALOT and never really accomplish alot...or that's how it feels to me. I want to focus on important things/people/goals and actually make a difference.
Thanks Mark...I'll start on that today.
And I pray your "progress" overflows!!!
Posted by: Wendy | January 15, 2007 at 11:10 AM