Power Word of the Year

One Little Word

A few years ago, I read about the impact people were experiencing in the “One Little Word Project.” Someone suggested that instead of making resolutions (which I never managed to keep), we should choose a single word to focus on to inspire us in the new year.

It’s been a pretty impactful exercise for me, and I’ve done it every year since. The process is easy. I choose a word, something I want to focus on in the coming year, and put it on my screensaver. Having my One Little Word right there on my screen (my closest relationship some days) makes me focus on it daily, and with that focus, something powerful happens.

The Power of a Word

Words have energy in them. They become things.

It’s not a new idea. The ancients tell us that God *spoke* before every creature came to life, and today, we are acutely aware that men can *speak* an entire nation into a division with words.

Our words never land empty. We may say words don’t matter, we didn’t mean anything by them, but that is just a defense for our poor word choices, not the truth. Words are powerful. Words impact our business and our relationships. The words we use reveal us and carry responsibility.

Our Self-Talk is a Compass

The chatter we allow to go on in our minds has a profound impact on the way we think, act, and how we show up in situations in our life. They’re like winds in the sails of a ship; they determine our direction. What we say to ourselves is what we are planning will happen. Let that sink in a minute. Because what we focus on really does expand.

Power Words of the Past

Some of my past words I chose to focus on are Joy, Gratitude, Frugality (the year is forever known as the year I enthusiastically cut up ALL of my credit cards, then had to ask for two back to run my business!), Presence, Enough (that was so good), Encourage (encouraging someone every day is now a habit), Simplicity (I found I am not a minimalist), and Play (I am still learning how to do this without feeling like I am wasting time). We are all a work in progress, but I’ve grown significantly in each of these areas. I recommend you choose your word carefully.

My Power Word Didn’t Come Easy This Year

This year, I struggled a bit to choose my word. It seemed every word that came to mind I judged and dismissed as “too superficial, too selfish, too grandiose, too little, too unrealistic, etc.” I became frustrated trying to find just the right word. Which, oddly, revealed to me my word for this year, Allow.

I have a lot of “Allows,” pages, and pages. Here are just a few in case they inspire you to select your focus word for the year.

Allow my Self to speak more kindly to Myself
Allow fantastic opportunities to find me
Allow growth outside my comfort zone
Allow abundance, and share it
Allow purging without regret
Allow myself days of rest with no explanation
Allow my introverted Self her space
Allow myself to celebrate my wins
Allow myself to slow up (not down) a bit
Allow myself to enjoy more face to face (want to have lunch?) and less digital

Do you have a power word for 2020? We would love to hear about it. We can do this.

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