My One Word

A few years ago I read Jon Gordon’s One Word That Will Change Your Life. The thought of giving up my New Year’s resolutions and replacing them with one word seemed odd to me. In the past I had always looked forward to setting new goals for the new year. As is the case with most people, I would start out strong and motivated. By the end of January I was doing great, by the end of February I was starting to get distracted, and honestly, by the end of March I had pretty much given up on all resolutions. So, what did I have to lose? I decided to give the “One Word” plan a chance.

The word I chose for 2018 was LOVE. I am a husband, father, teacher, and coach. This word became for me a constant reminder to love people where they are at. It reminded me to love what I was doing and all that I was involved in. I printed up pictures of it and posted it all around my classroom. I wanted a visible, constant reminder of what my word was for the year. I can honestly say that there was not a day that would go by that I did not look at that word and remind myself of what my purpose is as a human being…to love others. By the end of the year I was convinced this “one word” thing was legit.

The word I chose for 2019 was INVEST. Building off of my previous word I wanted to continue to invest in myself, in my relationships, and in the classroom. This word became the driving force behind my personal growth all year. When I struggled to get out of bed early and “win the morning (thanks Justin Sua)” I would remind myself that I was investing in me, I was becoming the best version of myself. When I looked for a new book to read I sought out books that would help me grow and invest in myself. When I struggled in deciding whether I should eat lunch with a student or keep grading I reminded myself that I needed to invest in my students. Throughout the year I learned, listened, and expanded my comfort zone because my desire was to invest.

2020 is a special year. A new decade. Kind of blows my mind that the past decade came and went so fast. It has been an incredible 10 years and so much has changed in my life. This year I want to keep that positive growth going. My word for this year is INTENTIONAL. 2020 is going to be a year of intentional growth in my personal life, my professional life, and my spiritual life. So often the busyness of living gets in the way of relationships. So many of my closest friendships have wrongly taken a back seat to things that seem legitimate at the time but are not worth sacrificing the friendship. I am going to be intentional in rebuilding those relationships. I am going to continue to be intentional in strengthening my new friendships. I am going to be intentional in growing as a teacher and coach.I am going to be intentional about blogging. I am going to be intentional in planning out this next decade. I am going to be intentional about becoming the best version of myself. Most importantly of all I am going to be intentional in my relationship with my wife and kids. I love this word INTENTIONAL because it applies to everything I am involved in.

2020! Just saying it sounds weird. A new decade, a new year, a new word. It will be a year of intentional living and intentional growth. Happy New Year’s to you and your families. Make the most of it and grow.