My One Word

It's January 1st. The day of New Year's Resolutions. People will have failed at their new diet, gym routine, change in behavior, or attempts to stop some activity by the end of the week. High achievers may make it to the end of the month, others won't even make it through the end of the day. Today is the day that people all around the world will set goals for themselves, and then either beat themselves up trying to achieve those goals, or hate themselves for failing. Maybe both. Regardless, you can rest assured that they are all completely forgotten no later than February. 

Why do we do this to ourselves? Sure it's a clean slate, a new year, a chance to start afresh...but we set difficult, unattainable goals, or goals we know we will struggle to achieve, all in the name of bettering ourselves. I'm all about being better, trust me, there are an abundance of ways I need to change and improve, but I refuse to set myself up for failure. Why commit to changing 20 things, even 5 things, and do it half-heartedly, when I could really excel at changing just one thing?

In comes My One Word. When I first met my husband, we attended Port City Community Church. Mike Ashcraft, the pastor there, changed my entire perspective on how I view resolutions. Mike started a movement called "My One Word", which I have taken part in for several years now. The premise behind My One Word is that rather than setting lofty goals at the start of a new year and trying to achieve them, you simply pray through the ways in which you feel God is calling you to be different or better. Then you choose one of those things (because if you're like me, there are many, many to choose from), and a single word that describes it. For the whole year, you focus on changing or being better at that one word, that one trait. The idea is to change one thing. To move toward the future rather than living in a past full of disappointments and self regret. "When you choose a single word, you have a single focus."..."The goal is to see His work in one area of your life."

So this year, through prayer and obvious reason, I have decided that My One Word is CONSISTENT. I struggle so much with being consistent. Whether it be in my quiet time, my prayer life, my workout routine, my eating habits, my parenting, my blogging, my business....you name it, I probably struggle with being consistent in it. And that sucks. I hate that about myself. I want that to change. My prayer is that God would work and change me this year...that with His help, I would come to the end of 2013 a better me. That I would "stand firm" in my relationship with Him, and in all aspects of my life. 

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 
- 1 Corinthians 15:58

3 comments

  1. Karrie on January 1, 2013 at 5:03 PM

    Great word!

     
  2. Shauna on September 10, 2016 at 5:14 PM

    Did that work well? In theory, it sounds practical and doable. What was 2013 like for you being consistent? I'm always looking for new and better ways to be a better me for me, my family, my friends, my animals. Will you return to blogging in 2017? Hope so! Mindfulness is a beautiful way to a more fulfilling life! Thank you for sharing. God bless you!

     
  3. Shauna on September 10, 2016 at 5:14 PM

    Did that work well? In theory, it sounds practical and doable. What was 2013 like for you being consistent? I'm always looking for new and better ways to be a better me for me, my family, my friends, my animals. Will you return to blogging in 2017? Hope so! Mindfulness is a beautiful way to a more fulfilling life! Thank you for sharing. God bless you!

     


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