At the beginning of 2018 I was talking to a fellow teacher about the goal-setting vs. resolution issue. She asked me if I had heard about the One Word phenomenon. I had not, but was intrigued. She forwarded me some material from a guy by the name of Jon Gordon.
Jon Gordon is a former teacher who has become a critically acclaimed writer and motivational speaker. His services have been employed by professional sports team, institutions of higher learning, and Fortune 500 companies alike. He has written 15 books and 5 are best-sellers. As I read the material on the One Word concept, I was very interested.
The idea behind it is simple. Gordon encourages us to find one word that can serve as a guiding principle for our lives. Some examples might include, PURPOSE, SURRENDER, SERVE, PRAY, RISE, FORGIVE and STILLNESS. In his words, "It's much more effective than New Year's resolutions. 9 out of 10 people will fail with their resolutions but One Word sticks. No goals. No resolutions. Just One Word that helps you write and create a yearly chapter in your life story. It's powerful."
As I thought about it, I decided that One Word was worth a shot. For me the choice of my One Word 2018 was obvious. The word I chose was LOVE. 2017 was a year that held so much hate. From mass shootings to fake news, the politics, prejudice and more, I felt like it was time for me to focus on the goodness in myself and in humanity.
And here we are, two months in to 2020. My One Word adventure focusing on LOVE has changed my perspective and allowed me to pay attention to all the goodness I see around me, past and present. My One Word has changed from time to time, although LOVE is the bedrock I keep coming back to. You don't have to wait for New Year's Day or your birthday or a landmark date to make a change.
The best day to start something is today.
Find your word. Change your world.