choose your word
If you’re like most people, each January goes something like this: You choose a problematic behavior that has plagued you for years and vow to reverse it. In fact, you can probably think of two or three undesirable habits—make that four or five.
Thus begins the litany of imperfections to be perfected, commonly known as New Year’s Resolutions. All of which are typically off your radar by February.
the un-resolution
Our resolutions seldom work because they focus on the type of person
we want to become rather than who God wants us to be. Many people do
not see God at work in their lives simply because they don’t know what
to look for. So, what if our hopes for the year centered on who God
wanted us to become instead?
It’s okay to want to be a better you—and the New Year is a natural time to start. The question is, how? My One Word replaces broken promises with a vision for real change. When you choose a single word, you have a single focus. You are moving toward the future rather than swearing off the past.
With My One Word, you’re right where God wants you: in His hands. And it’s not an extreme makeover we’re talking about. This year, the goal is to see His work in one area of your life.
a simple process
So how do you go about picking a word? We’ve listed out a few steps to help you get started!
step 1: DETERMINE THE KIND OF PERSON YOU WANT TO BECOME
The first step is to simply take some time and decide what kind of person you want to be at the end of this year. This goes beyond simply being healthier and wealthier, but it must drive deep into your soul. What about the condition of your heart? What about the person that God Himself has created you to be?
step 2: IDENTIFY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THAT PERSON
Get a picture of that person and then simply identify their major characteristics. Is that person gentle? Is that person generous? What are the qualities of the person you want to become?
step 3: simply pick a word
Once you have a list of the characteristics, simply pick a word. There might be fifteen things that you want to change, but you must resist the temptation to promise you will do them all. Instead, simply commit to ONE WORD.
This will provide you with a lens to see the changes you need to make as well as a way to determine whether or not change is actually happening. Understand that this process is hard, but staying focused on your word will help you to struggle in the right direction so that you can actually see God working in your life.
HELP ALONG THE WAY
Before you embark on this journey, a little word of warning: don’t be surprised if living out your “one word” feels unnatural and awkward at first. Remember, the reason you want to change is due to the fact that this godly characteristic is not currently present in your day-to-day life.
This is why we’ve developed MYONEWORD.ORG, to give you the resources and surround you with a community that will help keep your word in front of you all year long. Here are some ways our website can help you with your word:
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG
Visit our blog to access weekly exercises you can use to work on your word throughout year. You can also comment about the posts to interact with the online community about how you are using your word. To make sure you don't miss a thing, SUBSCRIBE to the blog to get an email every time a new post hits the site!
SIGN UP FOR AN ACCOUNT
Creating an account on myoneword.org is designed to help keep you thinking about your word all year long. -When you sign up for an account on our website you will be able to:
- Update your profile with your word and the inspiration behind it
- Share your word with our online community
- Review monthly questions for reflection that are posted in our blog on your profile page
- Write about your reflections in a personalized online journal
- Receive emails monthly that remind you about your word and challenge you to keep your word in front of you
- Sign up for our newsletter, updating you about changes and added features on myoneword.org