Over the break, a colleague forwarded me a newsletter with various resources from Jon Gordon, a famous author and motivational speaker. One of his big things for the past several years has been to encourage people to stay away from New Year's Resolutions (which, he claims, 80+% of people break by the end of January) and instead follow a three step process to choose one word.
Now, I'd heard about "One Word" before, most recently on the Abiding Together podcast, and I thought, how sweet but how can that possibly make a difference in someone's life? Though I was doubtful, I ended up buying Jon Gordon's book (which is a quick read - by the indication in the book it takes 49 minutes cover to cover) and also the kid version to see what it was all about.
I followed the process, which included time for silence and prayer, and one word came to me right away. I pushed it aside, as I didn't want to rush into it, even though it felt right, and tried many other words in my head and heart. Still, I kept coming back to my word - trust. I am working on trusting God with various aspects of my life (including my job, relationships, etc.), and I am working on trusting others, including my students, in so much as believing they are doing what they are supposed to be doing at any given time. And, of course, I must always work on trusting myself.
And so, that has become my 2020 word of the year/"one word."
And, do you know what? I had a crazy teaching schedule this week, where I only saw my 7th grade religion class (which is the only class I teach) two times. So, instead of jumping into new content, I created (and borrowed) some activities and models to guide my students through the process of choosing their own "One Word" for 2020. While Tuesday's class was rough (as it was their first day back after break), they (well, at least most of them) fully engaged in the process and took it seriously. Some of their words were confident/confidence, sacrifice, try, effort, adventure, joy, and positivity. I was amazed! This upcoming week I am giving them time to find and/or create visuals they can hang in their rooms or put as iPad backgrounds to remind them of their "One Word" over the course of the year. We'll see what they come up with.
Maybe you want to give "One Word" a try - go ahead; it's simple. Then, you just need to remind yourself of it on a regular basis. (Mine is my phone background.) I hope if you do try it that it works out in guiding you and pushing you to live it out this year.
Yes, 2020 is off and running. There always seems to be plenty to do and plenty of friends to catch up with. Since being back from visiting my family over the holidays, I've spent time with friends in Milwaukee (for NYE and New Years), the Art Institute (thank goodness for membership), local establishments for meals, and folk's condos/apartments just hanging out.
Haven't seen any shows in 2020 yet, but there will be a few rapid fire ones in the coming weeks, which makes me pretty excited. I don't think it's possible (nor should I feel the need) to see more shows in 2020 than 2019. That was one for the books. (I also read a lot of books last year, but that's another story...)
One last thing - as some of you may know, I spent 2019 with the resolve to buy no new clothes (aside from underwear and socks) the whole year...and I made it! I also gave away bags of stuff to St. Vincent de Paul (special shoutout to my sister for carting those away for me). Since the new year, though, I have broken down and bought a few new items; though, I think I am much more prudent now, really thinking if I truly want or need something (e.g. a new pair of jeans) before purchasing. I hope to not buy too many new items this year; otherwise, I don't think I really learned my lesson, did I?
I hope you have a wonderful start to the 2020 year!
