The one word resolution

While I am not a fan of resolutions, I am a believer in always trying to improve, and the idea of picking a one word resolution to help me focus my choices for the year. It’s easier than setting goals in every area of life which we may need to change because the world changes on us suddenly.

We don’t need a special day whether it’s a Monday or New Year’s to make changes in our lives, BUT the marker of a New Year provides us with a measurable time frame for progress and that’s why it can feel so powerful. What we measure we change!

The idea of picking a single word for the year works by providing an emotional connection to our goals, while allowing for flexibility.

Example: If your goal is to run a marathon then you break your leg, it’s going to be very hard to succeed…but if your word is DETERMINATION then you’ll be more inspired to continue finding ways to be active so you can jump back into training when you recover.

Words have power. Even a single word alone can have great meaning when used correctly. Allow yourself to be open to the possibilities of what that word is in your life.

Why I’m Tired of Traditional Goals

Anyone else tired?

Every day I’m working to make myself, my life, my home, and my job better…I don’t have the energy to keep setting massive goals. I start to feel weighed down by the MUST of the lists that are created from having a S.M.A.R.T. goal for every area of life.

Not to say that I think goals are bad, it’s just that now I need something different. I need less pressure and more guidance for making choices each day to create the life I want.

Which is why I’ve wholeheartedly embraced choosing a single word to guide my year.

What a One Word Resolution Can Do For You

In 2023, scrap that long list of goals that you’ll probably forget in a matter of a few weeks! Instead, pick one word to focus on every day.

That one word will become the compass that directs your actions, decisions, and next steps in life. It takes intentionality and commitment, but if you allow the word to integrate with your life, it will shape your entire year and also you.

A one word resolution will set you in the right direction by adding more focus and awareness to your intentions.

It might feel like just one word, but that one word can be incredibly powerful to use for your new year’s resolution.

How to Select Your One Word Resolution

Ali Edwards really started this movement and does have a great creative class if you want to check it out – I think she explains the concept so well:

“celebrating progress rather than perfection, about the power of focusing on a single word and the impact that can have in your life, about how many little moments make up the patterns of our lives, about thinking of your future self as you make decisions today, about how your own journey is important, about how to step back into the story of your own life as an active participant, about learning what you most need from yourself, and about the power of coming back again and again to your original intentions as a means of reflection and forward movement.”

Maybe you are still thriving on goals and that’s FABULOUS or maybe you are looking for something different this year and if that’s the case here are a few things to help you get focused.

• Journal on how you want to feel
• Pull out some of those words and look them up
• Do they resonate with you
• Does a specific word excite you
• Can you find a bracelet, a wall hanging or something else to keep you focused on it all year

Example One Word Resolutions

A few words I’ve used in the past:

Peace

At first blush I’d say this word only worked for a bit, but that’s not entirely true. It helped me to continue attempting meditation in small and big ways all year long. It helped me to find ways to slow down, to enjoy the current moment and to know that everything is working out.

However since I didn’t always feel like I could do something actively about my word it began to feel limiting and I realized then I was adopting another word: Courage.

Purpose

This word served me well for the entire year! It allowed me to say no to things that weren’t going to serve my long term vision and to be open to things I might have dismissed in the past. It kept me focused when I was truly in entrepreneur mode and I was blown away by all I accomplished.

Your “Word of the Year” is not microwaveable — i.e., Choose the word, set a timer, and “bing!” — you manifest! Your word is meant to teach you about you. It will often teach you about how you block your attraction and thwart your creative powers. It sometimes teaches you in paradox. – Christine Kane

Love

I wanted something to express these ideas:

• Doing just a bit more than asked
• Being thoughtful of others
• Being kind to myself
• Letting go of criticism (or handling it better!)
• Continuing to eat and run intuitively

Then I laid down last night, opened my favorite book from Louise Hay and found this:

Deep at the center of my being there is an infinite well of love. I now allow this love to flow to the surface – It fills my heart, my body, my mind, my consciousness, my very being and radiates out from in in all directions and returns to me multiplied.

The more love I use and give, the more I have to give – the supply is endless.

I love myself; therefore, I take loving care of my body. I lovingly feed it nourishing foods and beverages. I lovingly groom it and dress, and my body lovingly responds to me with vibrant health and energy.

I love myself; therefore, I provide for myself a comfortable home, one that fills all my needs and is a pleasure to be in. I fill the rooms with the vibration of love so that all who enter, myself included, will feel this love and be nourished by it.

I love myself; therefore, I work at a job that I truly enjoy doing, one that uses my creative talents and abilities, working with and for people whom I love and who love me, and earning a good income.

I love myself; therefore, I behave and think in a loving way to all people – for I know that that which I give out returns to me multiplied. I only attract loving people in my world, for they are a mirror of what I am.

I love myself; therefore, I live totally in the now, experiencing each moment as good and knowing that my future is bright and joyous and secure – for I am a beloved child of the Universe, and the Universe loving takes care of me now and forever.

Love.

I never would have chosen it without reading this passage because it brings to mind Hallmark moments and while that too is great, this is bigger.

Dance

I want to spend more time doing my happy dance, which is a bizarre little ditty I picked up from a friend I’ve known since kindergarten. Of course I look silly doing it, but couldn’t care less when something is wonderful enough to warrant the dance.

I want to spend more time jamming out in the car with the windows rolled down, wind in my hair and strangers wondering what awesome song I’m listening to (hint could be Blake Shelton or Outkast!).I want to spend more time remembering my motto “I don’t know these people” which usually eliminates my concerns over looking silly!

“Do a loony-goony dance
‘Cross the kitchen floor,
Put something silly in the world
That ain’t been there before.”
― Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic

I want to spend more time in the embrace of my husband, slow dancing on a random Tuesday night.

I want to spend more time flowing through the day rather than pushing.

I want to spend more time spinning with glee like a child always amazed at the world.

I want to choose work that lights me up for all the right reasons.

Other One Word Resolution Ideas

Here’s a list of words that can help you brainstorm and find the right one for you:

• Transformation
• Reflection
• Embrace
• Transition
• Grace
• Relax
• Fortitude
• Perspective
• Forward
• Determined
• Soar
• Balance
• Present
• Progress
• Adapt
• Organize
• Growth
• Relentless
• Simplify
• Uplift
• Empower
• Discover
• Connect
• Commit
• Change
• Finish

What To Do After I Pick a One Word Resolution

Once you’ve picked the word for you, fully embrace it. Set up reminders all over your house, maybe even make it your phone’s home screen or wallpaper.

You could even find some artwork that reminds you of its meaning or put up sticky notes with the word around your home or work.

Remind yourself positively about your one word and a regular basis by maybe using it as a mantra, prayer, or maybe even song. Find what works for you and then embrace that word entirely.

In the past I have:

• Purchased a bracelet with the word engraved on it
• Bought a small sign that I placed near my desk with the word
• Looked for the word throughout the year as my little symbol that I’m on track
• Spend time journaling on what the word means to you and how you want to embody it
• Write a note at the top of your planner each week with how you are going to live the word that week
• Continue to make sure it feels good! Like I said, one year I realized mid-way I needed a different word and that’s ok too.

Need some additional mental training?

Checkout these posts:

• Stop the negative voice on your next run
• Stop shoulding all over yourself – no more goals for other people
• Why mantras work so well

Other ways to connect with Amanda
Pinterest for all my running motivation: RunToTheFinish
Tweet Me, I’m always there : RunToTheFinish
Get new posts via BlogLovin

Ten years ago I stumbled upon another blog and read about something she was trying out: a one-word resolution for the next year. Being intentional about choosing one specific word can say a lot about where you’d like your focus to be for the next year.

While I’ve been engaging in this tradition each year for the past decade, several years ago our entire Endurance Learning team began to join me in this tradition. As we head into the next year, here are the words each of us has chosen as a North Star as we try to be intentional about the direction we’d like to take our thoughts and actions. 

If this collection of one word resolutions inspires you to make your own, we’d love to read about what your focus will be in the comment section!

Brian Washburn: Focus

I have a busy year coming up in 2023. I’ll be celebrating my 30th (!!!) high school reunion, I’ll have a book coming out, I’m continuing to grow a business and I’m getting married. If I want to truly be able to enjoy the anticipated highs of 2023, I need to make sure I’m taking care of my priorities because it’ll be too easy to be distracted by less important but more fun things like playing with ChatGPT, streaming the final season of Stranger Things or cheering on my Buffalo Bills every Sunday.

To me, the resolution of focus will be a commitment to both developing clear priorities and staying present in the moment as I try to address those priorities. With 24/7 connectivity, it can be a challenge to focus and stay present. Multi-tasking and checking things off a to-do list can help me feel productive, but as I reflect on the past few years, I also feel like I’m missing out on entire experiences. Here’s to being more focused and present in the new year!

Erin Clarke: Prioritize 

Despite my gregariousness, I am a covert introvert. I crave silence and alone time, and that is how I recharge. And yet, like many of us, I often feel constantly berated with inputs. At work it may be emails, slack pings, and meetings. At home it’s kid needs, to-do’s, appointments, or extracurricular activities.

In 2023, my word is prioritize. I am slowly learning how to prioritize so that I can feel successful amidst all of life’s pulls and pings. In this coming year, I will practice the art of asking myself, “what is most important RIGHT NOW?” And then, work to focus and be present with that most important priority. This may mean that some things need to wait a day, a week, or some unknown amount of time before they make it to the top of the list. Or it may mean that I need to prioritize a person or a project for a select amount of time. Regardless, I know that by being intentional with my priorities, it will also help me to carve out the quiet time that I need to be the best me that I can be.

Hannah Radant: Mindful

This past year has been a time of transition for me. I’ve been on a journey of acquiring new skills, forging new relationships, and transferring things I know into a new field while looking at them through a different lens. This has felt both exciting and challenging, and at times I’ve needed to remind myself to slow down and be mindful of the present moment and what I am taking in. Of course this extends to time outside of work, and being present with the people that I value and in the places that I enjoy.

My word for 2023 is mindful. I am fortunate to work for a company that not only supports learning and growth, but with coworkers that provide insight and collaboration along the way. I want to be mindful in the conversations I have and the challenges we tackle together, to take advantage of each learning opportunity as it comes along.  I want to spend my time away from work being in the present moment as well.

Heather Barry: Play

Someone recently told me that you do not stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing. I have no interest in getting old any time soon, and my resolution this year is to play more. I mostly play to keep my mind and body in good health, but another way I recently started to play is to gamify incentives into my day. My recent machination is to give myself points for every physical activity I accomplish with a reward system based on the points I earn. In this life game, I get 1 point for going to a fitness class, 1 point for yoga, 1 point for a hike, etc… The more points I earn, the bigger the reward I give myself at the end of the month. I resolve to keep playing this game for all of 2023, and possibly use this model to incentivise other parts of my life at work and other obligations. I love a measurable goal and hope to chart my progress over the year to see where it takes me. 

Jess Jagielski: Presence

My one-word resolution for 2023 would be presence. My life is almost always nonstop (which I love). I am always being pulled into different directions, sometimes simultaneously. At times, I feel like I am fully present for the event I am attending—I feel off-balance and distracted when I am there. Was I thorough enough in that work project? Could I have added more or taken something out of that final school paper? Did I do enough to fill the cups of my children and family today? These questions plague me. As a result of wanting to change that inner dialogue that I constantly battle with, I want to try harder to show up with my whole self while living in each moment as they happen.  

Lauren Wescott: Balance

I recently stumbled across the following quote: 

“Life is all about balance. You don’t always need to be getting stuff done. Sometimes it’s perfectly okay, and absolutely necessary, to shut down, kick back, and do nothing.” – Lori Deschene

This quote is inspiring my 2023 one-word resolution, balance. I want to work this year on setting better boundaries to promote work-life balance, and prioritizing the things that I know fuel my body and mind to be more productive and healthier. I know that when I prioritize balance in my life, I feel more inspired, more creative, and ultimately have more energy to invest into all areas of my life. 

Lindsay Garcia: Declutter 

At times I feel crowded in the various environments I “live” in, including physical spaces such as my home and my home office (a friend kindly describes my home as “homey”), but also those intangible environments like my mental and emotional capacity as a mother, professional, and overall person. This year I plan to declutter my environments, physically, mentally, and emotionally, in hopes to free up some space and time that will create more focus. I plan to toss away the baggage of the things that are out of my control and nurture the space left behind; to devote my time and energy to the people and tasks that have a positive impact on my life. And, yes, I will physically declutter and organize my home…someday this year. 

Rachel Niles: Cupcake  

My one-word resolution sounds delicious (because it is), but it’s an analogy for how to take on 2023. As the Quality Assurance Manager here at Endurance Learning, all of the projects that we work on end up on my “desk” at some point. Sometimes, they all end up there at once. When that happens, it can feel overwhelming. Picture someone placing two dozen cupcakes in front of you and telling you to eat them all. At first, you feel pumped and ready to take on the sugar highs. That quickly changes about 3-4 cupcakes in and you’re now just hoping that you don’t toss your cookies (I promise this wasn’t meant to make you hungry). All this to say, if we do it one cupcake at a time, take a mental breather, and understand that it’s not going to be physically possible to finish them all in the next HOUR like we want to, it feels more manageable.

Tim Waxenfelter: Plant

When we do a collaborative blog post it usually starts in a Google Doc. Apparently, one of our team’s favorite things to do is write things for other people. For one person it was “Naughty” in reference to a funny holiday sweater. For others it was “Vacation”. For me, one nefarious colleague wrote “Plants” due to the large number of living things that form my Zoom background. Challenge accepted. I’ve often gotten caught up in the day to day of work, but as Endurance Learning grows and takes on new challenges, I can’t play that role anymore and see our organization grow and thrive (see where I’m going here?) I need to plant the seeds of future growth. This means seeding new processes and making sure our people have what they need to grow. I may not see the results immediately and not every seed will grow, but if I don’t plant the seeds, I won’t have these big, beautiful, plants gracing every Zoom call!

Dating back to January 2013, I’ve made a one-word resolution as my final blog post of the year. It’s something I read about from another blogger and I really liked the concept – to set an intention which I will think about constantly through the next year.

As a learning professional who is also a small business owner, author, blogger, father and friend, my one-word resolution always helps me in my L&D career, but this is a post that goes beyond that one dimension of my life. If you think that setting an intention for the next year would be helpful in your work and/or personal life, I invite you to adopt the tradition.

For 2022, my one-word resolution will be: uncomfortable.

As I reflect on much of my work over the past few years, I feel I’ve worked hard. I also feel like I may have gotten a little too comfortable. I have my go-to training techniques. I’ve had an opportunity to get to know the same clients through a variety of projects. My 1:1s with staff have a similar formula. So does my podcast. I’ve had so many opportunities to work with the folks at ATD I feel like I’m part of their work family. And I’m not complaining about any of this – I feel extremely fortunate for this comfortable life I’ve carved out – both professionally and personally. And yet…

Growth comes on that edge of discomfort. I think it’s time for me to get a little uncomfortable, experimenting with new professional associations, formats for my podcast, ways to engage my staff. I don’t like to feel uncomfortable, but I do like the potential results I may find by trying new things and getting out of that comfort zone.

Interested to know the one-word resolutions of the rest of the folks here at Endurance Learning? Keep reading!

Heather Snyder

My one-word resolution for 2022 is curiosity. I feel like every year I mention that Endurance Learning is growing, and this year is no different. As you can see from this list, there are like a lot of us now. What you don’t see on this list is our growing list of clients. As we grow, we adapt, and to adapt you need to learn. At Endurance Learning, we solve problems. To come up with good solutions, we need to focus on the nature of problems and learn from them with an open mind and absolute curiosity.

Lauren Wescott

For 2022, my one-word resolution is intentional. Things have been BUSY over here at Endurance Learning this year, and I find myself running along most days just trying to stay on top of everything. It’s hard when life and work are so busy, to make the intentional time in my schedule for the things that will help me grow in my job. Which is why I’ve chosen the word intentional. I want to be intentional to schedule (and follow through with) time to invest in learning and growth opportunities. I’m thankful that I work for a company that allows me the opportunity to have this time. Now, I need to go seize it!

Rachel Niles

As we move into 2022, I am inspired by my favorite guest on the Train Like You Listen podcast this past year, Dialogue Education pioneer, Jane Vella. She shared during her conversation on the podcast that “We are listening for the opportunity to learn” and going forward into the new year, I’m taking this to heart. My one-word resolution for 2022 is: listen. 

I have been so busy over the last year, I really want to encourage myself to pause and listen. What an easy thing to do, and also such a privilege. (Notice the word “opportunity” in the quote above.) I must grab the chance! When busy or stressed or overly focused it’s difficult to quiet myself and my life enough to listen. But, really, how much more effort does it take? I can listen to myself, to others, to my own heart and will, to someone else’s opinion, or something I have never heard before. I can listen to music, and change everything about the way I feel. I can listen to silence and do the same.

In everything I do, I think listening seems like it might be the perfect first step before starting. How funny it might also be an excellent last step, before wrapping up. It’s an “opportunity to learn” if I just choose to take it.

So in 2022, I want to listen. I want to hear more of what others want and need. Many problems, big and small, could begin to find solutions if people would just listen to each other. Jane Vella shared that the best advice she ever received was “Shut up. Keep Quiet. Listen”. And I’m listening to that.

Lindsay Garcia

My one-word resolution for the upcoming 2022 year is acceptance. A main goal of mine now that I am taking on a combination of many roles (a full-time mother, wife, friend, and Learning and Development Manager), is to accept the successes and mistakes I may make within each of these roles, and to celebrate them. Life is a constant journey of growth through learning from one’s mistakes and building from one’s successes. I plan to work on accepting myself as I am, both strengths and flaws, and to accept those around me with an open mind. With acceptance, I hope to become more mindful and purposeful in my actions, to allow myself to take some me-moments when needed, and to forgive myself for the little things (mom guilt is real). Looking forward to an amazing 2022!

Erin Clarke

As the newest Endurance Learning employee, I was pretty tickled to learn that we choose one word resolutions every year. It’s a practice I have done in my personal life for the past several years and now I get to do it in conjunction with my new team – how fun!

As a working mom, with three young kiddos and a spouse who travels for work, I find that I’m often scrambling. Scrambling to shuttle everyone to and fro, join my meetings on time, meet deadlines, feed everyone, and all the things that are part of running a household and just being a human. I’ve found that words like “balance” make me feel unsuccessful because balance looks different in every season. So this year, my word is “energy”, and I’m focusing on energy from many different angles.

I want to be conscious of the energy that I bring when I am with others. My intention is to bring positive and uplifting energy. I am thinking about how I can bring new energy to the work that I do and how I can engage and energize the learners that I am creating content for. And most importantly (to me) I’m thinking about how I protect my own energy with things that fill my tank rather than deplete it. In some of my “me” time this coming year, I’ll be focusing on some exercise and wellness goals, trying new recipes, and making space for intentional time with friends.

Tim Waxenfelter

My resolution is a good bookend for this post, because it is really inspired by this team. When Brian and I started Endurance Learning, it was a 2-person team and at times just a 1-person team until Brian was ready to make the leap to full time. I had to trust in my own skills and ability to learn everything I needed for us to be successful. I had to trust that Brian would be able to move a project along while on a layover to India. But I didn’t really have to trust in other people that often. That has changed an incredible amount since 2005. We have a wonderful team of people who give their all to making our customers and our company successful. If you haven’t guessed, my one-word resolution for 2022 is trust. The more I can trust in the wonderful people at Endurance Learning and the culture of leaders we’re building, the more I think I can help all of us and all of our offerings grow. I’m really excited about the amazing learning experiences that our team is going to create and all the wonderful customers new and old that we’ll get a chance to learn from!

As always, we would love to hear your one-word resolutions. We are always learning from our readers, customers, partners, friends, contractors and colleagues.

Cheers to 2022!

~

Regardless of your personal viewpoint or history with regard to the practice of goal setting, there is one truth that is undeniable, and that is we accomplish more when we focus our attention and efforts.

The only way to discover our true potential is to clear out the clutter and focus on what matters.

Why We Need Be Intentional About Creating Focus

Focus. It’s important, it works, and it’s not easy.

We try to do too much, become distracted by the things (and people) yelling the loudest for our attention, and then find ourselves at the end of the day wondering why we’ve made so little progress.

Our goals are often based on the things we (or others) believe we should do, or that sound good but have no real meaning. Or we rebel and set no goals at all, choosing instead to live by default, responding to who and whatever the winds of fate happen to send our way.

Even when we do decide to pursue goals that we truly care about we’re so busy trying to keep up with everything else in our life that we fail to take the time to create a realistic plan to achieve them, so at the first sign of a problem we give up.

It’s not that we don’t have the ability to achieve these things; it’s that we fail to focus our attention.

One way to change that is to align your efforts to improve a particular area of your life. This approach enables you to build momentum gradually and strategically over time, providing the sense of control and balance that we all long for.

For many people, the One Word Resolution concept appears to provide the perfect solution.

The One Word Revolution

The One Word Resolution has been around for awhile now and, if the buzz associated with picking that one perfect word is any indication, it continues to grow more popular every year.

The concept is easy enough, pick one word to use as your guide or intention for a particular area of your life you desire to improve. As the title implies, more often than not this concept is used when preparing to head into a New Year, but realistically it can be used anytime you desire to create meaningful change or improve your life in some way.

As with any goal setting method, the One Word Resolution has garnered its share of inspiring success stories but, just like its traditional counterpart, many “Words” are left to gather dust as the year progresses.

Then there’s the issue of pinning down one word. Some people seem to be able to effortlessly pick their word out of thin air and they know intuitively it’s just the right word for them. Other people, well, not so much.

It may seem pretty simple going in, but for many picking the right word becomes an overwhelming challenge, one that is often made harder than it needs to be.

I was first introduced to this strategy 3 years ago by an associate, who at that point had already changed her word for the New Year twice. The first time was because she learned her friend had picked the same word, the second was because after living with the word for a few days she felt it just didn’t really resonate with who she was.

She finally settled on the word Approachable because she decided maybe she needed to work on relationships. She never did and I forgot about the One Word Resolution until the next year when she called me to see if I’d picked out a word for the year.

My friend’s experience is a perfect example of where most go wrong with this concept by either applying all of their attention and energy toward picking a “feel good” word, or picking one out for no other reason that they see it in an article or discussion on social media and decide to jump on the proverbial bandwagon.

Either way, there is little or no thought given to what they’re actually going to do with that word.

The reality is that the real power behind this approach isn’t the “word” at all, but rather how you choose to translate the energy behind what that word means to you.

The real value of setting goals is not the recognition or reward; it’s the person we become by finding the discipline, courage, and commitment to achieve them. ~Author Unknown

Now, if you are someone who is attracted to this strategy because you prefer not to set goals, let me provide you with a quick reality check.

Whether you plan to use a word or theme to create BIG changes in your life or to simply become more mindful about the people and abundance that surrounds you, achieving your desired results will require you to become intentional about the choices you make.

You don’t have to call them goals, you can refer to the process as intentions, rituals, practice or whatever you want, but the bottom line is that to make the behaviors associated with your word a part of your life will require you to take focused action of some kind, otherwise there really is no point.

Sometimes You Just Need to Focus

I believe the greatest strength of the One Word strategy is the idea of focused attention. There is a sense of inner peace and comfort that comes from having a meaningful foundation to anchor you against the busyness of everyday living as well as a guidepost for actions and decisions.

However, I approach this concept a little differently … big surprise, huh? 🙂

Seriously, my approach is based on setting a theme as your foundation. So rather than going right to picking out words, there is a process of establishing a starting point based on the reality of your life as it is now that helps you to determine in a meaningful way where you’d like to focus your attention. From this foundation (your anchor), you then select a theme that is clearly aligned with your priorities.

I also use an associated word or phrase, which I treat as a trigger to refocus attention, much the same way we use triggers when we’re working to set or break a habit.

I’ve used this strategy for the past 2 years, it’s surprisingly easy to implement, and I’ve achieved more goals and created more meaningful change in my life than in the previous ten years, and it all has to do with the power of focus.

Your theme serves as a lighthouse beacon always showing you the way home no matter how dark or stormy the weather. ~Marquita Herald

Think about a typical day in your life. Most of us are kept pretty busy trying to balance overloaded schedules, demanding relationships and the general noise of everyday living. This means that often your reactions and decisions will default to what is comfortable and natural to you.

So if you’re hoping to create some type of meaningful change in your life, have a desire to achieve particular goals, or just want to make sure you stay focused on the people and things that matter most to you, the easier you make it for yourself to make decisions that support your intentions the more likely you are to stay on track to create a life you love.

Let today be the day you give up who you’ve been for who you can become.

About Marquita Herald

Marquita is an author, resilience coach and the chief evangelist at Emotionally Resilient Living. She’s also an unapologetic workaholic who loves red wine, rock n’ roll, road trips (and car dancing!), peanut butter cookies and (especially) a dog named Lucy.

She’s saddened and frustrated by excuses and cruelty and believes authentic compassion is the most powerful force in the world.

To learn more about Marquita and the mission of Emotionally Resilient Living click “here“.

Tags: Accountability, Choices, Dreams and Goals, Focus, New Year Resolution, One Word Resolution

For a few years now, I’ve really loved the concept of the one-word resolution for the New Year. It feels good to me, because it’s not quite as hyper-focused as some New Year’s Resolutions—though I admit, I do set some of those as well! But to me, the one-word Resolution really captures the essence of what I’m hoping to achieve, or who I’m hoping to show up as, in the coming year. There’s no end goal, nothing specific to check off to say whether or not I’ve done it. Instead, it’s just a word that I come back to regularly to remind myself how to ‘be’ in any given moment.

Some words have been more helpful than others—this is definitely a trial-and-error kind of experiment! I noticed that this past year, my 2021 choice of ‘level up’ almost never made it into my peripheral as I went about my day to day life. Arguably, I hit that in a few areas, but I never really reflected on it. It wasn’t quite the right fit. On the other hand, my initial one-word resolution in 2017—COLLECTED—really, really spoke to me all of that year (and still does!). So, it hasn’t always been perfect. But it does help me think through the kind of ‘vibes’ (for lack of a better term) I want to bring to the year.

If you’re trying to come up with one for yourself, a good spot to start may actually be with our post from last week thinking about your core values in relation to your training and racing goals. One of your values might be what you want to focus on for the year! Or it could be a feeling, like ‘calm’ or ‘focused,’ that you want to bring more of into your life in the coming year. Or it could be something that’s more overarching, something that doesn’t have a direct/obvious action associated with it (that’s what I’m trying this year!).

If you want to see my past one-word resolutions, you can check them out here:

• 2020 One Word Resolution: Flow
• My 2019 One-Word Resolution: BRAVE
• My One-Word New Year’s Resolution for 2018: COMMUNITY
• 2021 Word of the Year: Level Up
• What’s Your One-Word New Years Resolution?

So, what’s my word for this year?

SHINE.

This one actually hit me a couple of months ago and it immediately felt right. The concept behind it isn’t that I want to stand out in ‘look at me!’ way, it’s that I want to feel like everything I am doing, I’m giving it 100%, authentic ME. I’m putting my whole heart into it, leaning in, whatever you want to call it. Whether it’s a book or an article or a 100-mile race (ahem), I want to feel like I’m approaching it with this full sense of joy and commitment, shining through it.

It’s more abstract than any word I’ve chosen before, and that’s not a bad thing. It feels good to me, and in the few weeks I’ve been playing with it, I feel an energy shift when I think of it while I’m writing or running or just thinking.

How do you keep focused on your one-word resolution all year?

Put it somewhere you can see it! In our podcast with her a few months ago, Joanna Magic talked about how she has her training schedule printed and stuck on her fridge so she sees it often. The same is true for your one word. I’ve done this a few ways over the years:

• Printed it with a label maker and stuck it to my computer screen so it was always in front of me
• Made a desktop background for my computer with the word
• Gotten soap crayons (for little kids) and written it in my shower and on my bathroom mirror
• For races, I’ve actually written that word (or another motivational one, in past years) on my wrist or on a piece of tape on my top tube. You could go even fancier and get a frame sticker made that has the word on it!

You get the idea. Try to put it somewhere you’ll see it often, where it will help the most.

OK, your turn: What’s your one-word resolution for 2022?

Want more on goal setting? Check out our book, Becoming A Consummate Athlete, right here:

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