SIMPLIFY: My word for 2019
It has been another “Trip Around the Sun”, as we celebrate the beginning of 2019. It’s so hard to believe 2018 is over so quickly.
As has been my routine for the past several years, instead of making a long list of “New Year’s Resolutions”, I pick a word to be the controlling theme of my year. This tradition began after I read the inspirational collaboration of Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page called “One Word that will change your life”. The book outlines the philosophy (& great benefits) of choosing a word to be the controlling theme of a year. This will be the 5th year of this commitment for me; here’s a recap of the previous selections:
2015 ACTION
2016 GRATITUDE
2017 DO
2018 FOCUS
As I look back at the past several years, a theme has developed as I have dreamed about (but have not consistently done much toward) accomplishing certain things in my life. The biggest of these dreams is to write a book. I have been “talking about” and “thinking about” writing a book for more than half of my life! I remember having the dream of becoming a published author right after graduating from college in 1987. I was a mere 23-years old. (That was 31-years ago)
Over those 3+ Decades, I became a living, breathing (& aging) excuse factory! That time is over! In fact, I have come face-to-face with the realization that my excuses have been nothing but tired pathetic lies that have gotten in the way of me working toward accomplishing a life-time goal.
My goals this year are even loftier! In addition to finishing my first book, I’m planning to embark on a speaking tour to promote the book and share my insights into the work.
Back to the task at hand; picking my word for 2019. This is a word that I have carefully chosen to act as a controlling theme for the year. In fact, I have developed an acronym from this word, to remind myself about the actions I must keep in mind to accomplish this goal.
Skills - I must develop areas of needed expertise, especially technologically
Improve - I must continually work to hone those skills; becoming proficient & even masterful
Mindful - I must control my time & actions; working purposefully to be creative & productive
Physical - I must make an effort at consistent physical activity (5x per week; 30 minutes)
Less (Stuff) - I must control my surroundings; by purging the clutter & useless items
Imagine - I must create a set of images in my mind; showcasing my progress & success
Food - I must control what I’m ingesting; fueling my body for health, strength & energy
Youthful - I must stay active & happy in my thoughts; in touch with the younger side of life
