No one would argue that we want 2021 to be different than 2020. And it will. But regardless of what happens in the world, the real agent of change in your life needs to come from you. As 2021 is about to begin, now’s the time to ask…
“What do I want my life to be like?”
This is a good time to take the opportunity to look at where you are and where you want to be. Instead of making traditional resolutions, simplify the process by choosing a focus word.
Now you’ve probably heard about this and are rolling your eyes because you don’t believe it really works. I know. I have survived a roller-coaster life, yet every year I know I can do more. But it wasn’t until 2015 that I took the time to pick a focus word. My first one was “intentional.”
In a previous blog I talk about buying love from others, both personally and in business, by doing things for them that they didn’t appreciate. Boy was I good at that! Problem was, not only did I not get their love; it hurt my ability to love myself. I suppressed the angst of being busy, but not productive. Being intentional helped me identify which actions resulted in moving forward.
In 2018 I chose “rooted.” This is when I finally owned up to my story which you can find here. With all the pain I experienced, it was easy to ignore, conceal, deny, and minimize the impact it had on my life and self-esteem. I had to own it. It is my history and I can’t change it. What I can do is learn from it and use those lessons to build my stronger self…
…which led to this year’s word – freedom. Freedom lets me step out and do it afraid. As far as I’ve come, I still fear doing what I need to do in order to be the person I want to be. The freedom comes in with knowing it’s OK to fall.
My belief in focus words has gone beyond me personally. My sister’s divorce after a 30-year marriage is becoming final soon. She called to say she’s looking at 2021 with the word “hope.” She believes that hope will give her the strength to be a single woman with purpose.
You will find what you’re looking for and a focus word helps you find the way to get to it. It has the ability to guide how you think – which influences your actions. One word keeps you focused and steers your energy and resources towards your goal.
Understand – not every day is a walk in the park. Some days you may feel life isn’t working out. When this happens, your focus word is there to help you get unstuck. It’s a daily reminder that every day you have a choice. Your focus word keeps you on track to continue to pursue that person you want to be.
