I consider myself a pretty intentional person. I do things with great purpose and passion and always want to put my best foot forward. Occasionally this is to my detriment but we are working on that!

I have struggled since the start of the new year to find my word for the year. This is a practice I actually started with my volleyball program two years ago and one that I have applied to my personal life ever since.

The concept of “one word” is that it’s more attainable than a long list of goals that we don’t often get to. In fact, statistics show that most people have given up on their “new year resolutions” by February.

So instead, Jon Gordon and friends suggest you identify one word that would carry you through you entire year. A word that would strengthen your relationships, job performance, parenting, and self care. If you haven’t read the book “One Word” or looked into the concept I highly recommend it.

So…I’ve been reflecting on my word for a long time…it’s almost February after all.

In our faculty retreat at St James I narrowed it down to a few words from the long list I was working with.

More. I liked this word because in my prayer life and in my personal head space I keep hearing this word. I am supposed to be doing more. I just don’t know what exactly that looks like yet. For those that know me best, hearing me say I need to do more is laughable. I do a lot already. But…I feel a pull to do more and while I have put some of that into action already I know this isn’t the year to tackle this in its entirety. So this word was moved to the side.

Balance. I liked this word for me for many reasons. While I juggle and balance many different things in my life it is something I can definitely do a better job of. I struggle with the word “no” and sometimes take on more than I should. So balance seemed like a great word so I could be more reflective on what I said yes to moving forward.

Empower. Part of my “more” is a pull to empower people. I feel like I have had life experiences that could help others. In my job at St. James I am able to share some of that with to my students and colleagues and I’ve seen first hand the importance and power in telling a personal struggle or story with others and how it can impact their ability to overcome their own struggles. It’s pretty powerful stuff. So this word weighed heavily on my heart.

Intentional. This is the word I landed on and partly because I think it relates to all my other words in many ways yet it allows me to focus on what I need to work on as a human being. Being intentional about how I spend my time is really critical for me. I wear a lot of hats in my home, my job, my relationships with others and they are all hats I wear willingly, but sometimes, I am not as intentional with my time as I need to be. This creates stress and anxiety in my life which negatively impacts me and my family. So I need to do a better job of being intentional about where I spend my time.

I want to be intentional about my goals and my “more”. For example, I have wanted to write a book about my mom my entire adult life. What’s stopping me? Time? Fear? Probably a combination of both. I am taking steps now with my new word to start recording her history and her story which I believe will inspire anyone who reads it. Her story has shaped who I am as a human being. It’s shaped me. Her story can help others who have experienced similar trauma overcome it. Hell, it can help anyone, regardless of their circumstances to believe anything is possible with a good attitude and hard work. So I will be intentional about this, this year.

I want to be intentional about my ability and opportunity to empower. I have ideas that are in the works and I hope will become reality. But, I also realize that some of my ideas are in the long game. They can’t be easily thrown together and will take time, energy and dare I say help…to accomplish.

So really, I found the perfect word to mold all the other words I was considering.

I will do my best to be intentional in my efforts to be the best version of myself for my family, friends, colleagues, students and players.

What’s your word?

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