What is Your Word for 2014?

I have a collection of dictionaries and I’ve been known to read them. (No, not all the way through! Not all at once, anyway.) Nuances, subtleties, double entendres, etymology, layers of meaning – they all get my juices flowing. (Balderdash, anyone?)

I write poetry, dabble in Haikus and blog. I snap pictures of bumper stickers that nail reality. My TV remote is bundled with pen and paper to capture a brilliant line. I buy T-shirts that say-it-all regarding complex concepts of leadership and personal growth, like “Mind the Gap.”

Words make Worlds

There’s world of difference between obligation and responsibility, task and purpose, goal and dream. Our words, and the meaning we ascribe to each, make our worlds.

Our words reveal our prejudices and preferences. Our world words can fall like acid rain, drowning ideas, or like manna from heaven, inspiring greatness. Powerful stuff, words.

Remember the 2004 movie “What the Bleep”? Blew my mind, especially the part about the experiments that showed how written and spoken words appeared to change the crystalline structure of water. … Since humans and the earth are composed mostly of water, his message is one of personal health, global environmental renewal, and a practical plan for peace that starts with each one of us. Read more, www.whatthebleep.com/water-crystals/.

Six of One

A few years ago, I came across Smith Magazine (www.smithmag.net). The Smith Rule: get your message across in 6 words. (Try it: Use 6 words and describe your business, or your children, yourself, your community or hopes for your future. Do this with your team and be prepared for some great insights!) The 6 words I came up for Work In Progress Coaching: turning potential into results with conversations.

One of my news feeds recently pointed me to One Word (getoneword.com). The message of the One Word authors (yes, there’s a book) is: “The simple power of One Word is that it impacts all six dimensions of your life – mental, physical, emotional, relational, spiritual, and financial. Simply put, One Word sticks. There is a word meant for you and when you find it, live it, and share it, your life will become more rewarding and exciting than ever.”

So, instead of making New Year’s Resolutions for 2014 (because we know where those tend to go … by the wayside), to kick off 2014, let’s pick just one word.

You choose.

This one word will be your touchstone for the year. Your word isn’t just any word. It means something that’s important to you, something you want to bring forth, something you want to be.

Others can’t give you your word. You have to choose it. To choose your word, the authors offer a 3-step process*:

1. Look in. (Be quiet, open your heart.) 
2. Look out. (Keep it present, live it.)
3. Spread it. (Share your journey.)

(*Download the free One Word Action Plan worksheet: getoneword.com.)

Shake things up. Start a new tradition.

What’s your word for 2014?