Test Drive #3: The One!

After Test Drive # 1 and 2, I wasn't sure what to pick next for a word.

I have wanted to accomplish so many things and every day feel as if I am spinning my wheels.

Why?

I wasn't sure...

I took a few days to think about the next word... 

Then it came to me...

I needed Goals!

There it was! 

My One Word for 2012!

G O A L S !!!!

There was no doubt in my mind that this test drive was going to go very well.

With Goals 

I could accomplish more...

Act with purpose,

And measure results.

I'd always had dreams, but not many detailed plans to get there. With practicing One Word, I knew it could help me get all of my dreams in order and help break them down into specific plans.

So, would you like to know how it's been going since January 1st?

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!

I've always wanted to spend more time on my book, more time with my kids and get more done in my business and GOALS is helping me with that!

With GOALS as my word, I am always reminded of where I want to be and what I am trying to accomplish! I have dedicated certain days and times to completing my parenting book,
created work hours for my home business, have organized the finances, the family calendar, and blogging time into specific time slots and now I always know where I am and where I'm going and no longer waste time doing what isn't helping me reach my goals.

Using GOAL as My One Word for 2012

has made me stop and think a lot about the end result I want...

and encourages me to eliminate things off my schedule which aren't contributing to the things that are important to me...

I am also utilizing time better and seeing results!

If you are looking for more focus in your life, write down some things that are important to you, then only do things that resonate with those priorities.

Make some goals, 

pick one word 

and 

Go For It!

New Year Resolution: Test-Drive #1

In December I wrote about 'test-driving' my New Year's Resolution.

Last year, I traded in my old, beat up resolutions for a new shiny One which I would own for twelve whole months.

Because it was such a big investment, (much like purchasing a vehicle) I thought it might be wise to 'test-drive' a few first.

#1:
 I picked several things I felt I needed/wanted to focus on.

#2:
 I paired up words which made me think of (or meant) those things.

#3:
 I tried each of them for out for a week before I landed on my overall approach for 2012.

It was actually kind of fun. 

Here is The First Test Drive:

"Faith"

I thought since I could sometimes be some-what doubtful about the positive outcome of things, maybe I could use a more positive attitude; Faith seemed like a good word...

Faith...Faith.....Faith...

Just saying the word Faith feels good...doesn't it?

Except....


That after I tried it for a while, I realized that I related it more to church, my religion, saying prayers and reading the bible. Since those things are already present in my life, Faith to me did not work in the way that I thought it would for motivational purposes.


So, I tossed it out. 

(Not my faith, just the word.)

Back to the dictionary!

Read next Monday about Resolution Test-Drive #2.

Y.I. Ditched My New Year's Resolution List

Because I always seemed to either forget about them or give up on them....I have left my long standing New Year's Resolutions at the door.

I mean, yes, I believe in change (oh, do I) but, I truly think it's too easy to get overwhelmed working on a whole bunch of things at once...

Hence Why I ditched my New Year's Resolution list last year and replaced it with One Word.

Recently, I posted a few things about this One Word approach and I hope you will check it out.

Easy, but not too easy. Simplified, but not simple...I find it to be just right.

During the year, I feel that I work on the things I need to work on, you know, make adjustments as I go.
So, when New Year's comes around I usually over-do-it by making a big long list of things and get overloaded. Then,  I'm discouraged after just a short time...like by February 1st (Ugh).

So, last year, I decided to just stick to one word all year long that helped me focus better on almost anything I was doing.

Read about 2011's word: Grace

This time I chose Goals for 2012!

Last Year I chose Grace.

Read how I did:

Bad with Grace

Good with Grace

The trick will be, keeping Grace in action, 

while incorporating Goals...

It's both exciting and scary!

Yikes! 

Sounds tricky...

But, I think I'm up for the challenge.

No pain, no gain, right?

Throughout 2012, I will post updates and follow up stories about how I'm doing with my Goals.
Come back next week to find out how I plan on using this word!


I have already begun  my Goal list for the year...
and that's just the beginning.

Have you ditched New Year's resolutions? Why?

Or...

Will you be trying One Word instead?

Think you might like to try 

My One Word? 

visit MyOneWord.com 

or 

Test a New Year's Resolution? click here to read more

FU on Grace

Today was not a very graceful day…maybe it has something to do with the chocolate….

Anyway, I swore, (and I’ve vowed to stop that) I yelled out loud in my car at another driver on the road and I pouted at the end of the day.

I’ve been struggling a little bit with My One Word…and that is why I’ve decided to do a little FU on Grace…

Follow up, that is.

I’m not perfect, heck, that’s why I’m using Grace  as My One Word this year; to help me practice being Graceful in all aspects of my life….

HA!!!!

If I had picked kindness, compassion, or charity, there’d be no problem…

Or, if I chose humbleness, strength, or maybe humor, I’d say again, NO problem,  ‘I got this’…. 

But, if I had, it’d be too easy.

So, I picked Grace

…Ugh…

I picked Grace because I felt that I needed reminding sometimes. I needed a cue to force me to display patience when I didn’t want to, and give forgiveness when I should but can’t. 

It sounded like a great idea!

I really don’t do long lists of New Year’s Resolutions anymore and I thought choosing a word to live by for 12 months would be fun!

Yeah, no, it’s hard.

I definitely don’t want to discourage anyone from doing it. I just advise you be prepared.

‘This ain’t no picnic Boo Boo.’

It’s biting your tongue, holding your breath, counting to ten, and sometimes just walking away.

It’s seeing someone for good, rather than bad. Viewing things from other people’s perspectives. It’s taking time to reel yourself in and think about what you do and why you do it.

The good thing about My One Word is I never feel discouraged so much that I want to quit it. Since this type of resolution is one that is just between me (well.. and now you..) and myself. I know that if I get it wrong today, I will learn something from it and then get back on track tomorrow with practicing Grace.

If you’d like to try doing what I am doing, visit this site, it is one of my favorites and it’s where I got this idea.

My One Word:

http://myoneword.org/choose/

On this site you can do an exercise or two. You can also read some inspirational stories and take a few minutes to gain insight into yourself, who you want to be and where you want to go. 

Or… you could just get frustrated trying to live by One Word …LIKE ME!!

If you visit the site or choose your own One Word, please come back and share with me what you thought and/or what One Word you chose.

Tomorrow is another day….

Hopefully it will be GRACEFUL.

 

Truly

Amber