My One Word for 2014

I tend to be a goal setter. A planner. Compulsively so. So, New Years resolutions for me are somewhat of a tradition and something I revisit throughout the year. I tend to be very detailed in the goals, making them measurable and checking back in on them often. They also tend to be the same goals year-over-year: lose weight, save money, read the Bible, improve my marriage and family life, slow down, simplify, etc, etc. I also have work related goals (improve my writing, build certain relationships, learn more about a certain area of my field) and even hobby related goals (create one thing from Pinterest per month, one new recipe per month, take better pictures, get caught up in scrapbooking).

Are you overwhelmed yet? I am. I simply set the bar so high, wanting to be all things to all people and not getting very far in the process. Sound familiar?

This year, while all of those goals are still in my mind, I am not going to write down an obsessive list to check off. While I still am working on losing those pounds, being healthier overall in mind, body and spirit, being present for my kids and teaching them about God, hygiene and being a good person, saving for financial goals, deepening the relationship with my husband and spending more time with God, those are not goals to be checked off a list. Those are all part of living life right and if I have the right focus, I will do all of those things.

Therefore, this year I am only focusing on my one little word.

"One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. One word that you can focus on every day, all year long. It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps. Discover the big impact one word can make."

Last year my word was simplify. Ironic that I chose that word and still made a mile-long goal list! Ha! But I did simplify somewhat - clearing out stuff, unsubscribing, stepping back from outside commitments.

This year my one word is FOCUS. For someone with attention issues and a mind that is always running in a million directions, this is a challenge. Focus on doing one thing at a time, focus on being present where I am and not thinking about what I have to do later, focus on the people who are important in my life, focus on the people right in front of me wherever I am, focus on God.

Here is what a wise man, who happens to be my boss, has to say about focus:

I love that! My mission is to lead myself and my family into a deeper relationship with God and to create a cherished, memorable and remarkable life. Are the decisions I'm making in how I spend my time, what I'm demonstrating to my family and how I am treating others in line with that mission? Am I on focus? That is my goal for 2014. What is yours?