One Word 2018

Do you have #OneWord for 2018?

What is it?

The #OneWord movement began as far back as 1999 and became a best-selling book. It is a personal choice to find, choose, or receive a theme for the year that is represented by one word. Resolutions don’t work, but many have found that #OneWord gives them the focus and simple clarity to make sustained life change over the coming year.

This post is not about the book. It's about my choice of #OneWord for 2018.

How do I find it?

Don't get so mired down in the process of finding your word and “doing it right” (whatever that means) that you give up, so keep it simple. Look at what others have named for 2018: hope, focus, anticipate, soar, fearless, enjoy, attentive, commitment, light, release, embrace and on it goes, as unique and distinct between humans as each individual and different snowflake


Ways to Keep #OneWord In Mind

There are numerous options, but I have to find what works for my temperament and attention-deficit tendencies.

I love the idea my friend Kendra used in 2016 and I used with great delight in 2017: Establish a jar to collect good things that happen during the year. Put brightly colored note paper and pen beside the jar and write down the good things that happen each day, each week, or whenever you think of them. Or just put things in the jar that remind you of something good. (In the case of OneWord, I will include this year things that related to pursuing depth in my life). On the next New Year’s Day, open the jar and read them. This was a wonderful experience for me in 2017.

Make some kind of artwork with your #OneWord and hang it where you’ll see it every day. Perhaps a poem, a painting, a carving, glasswork, quilt, 3-D print, Lego build – the list is endless.

It’s a great idea to blog or journal around my #OneWord theme. It’s likely that I will write about the phrases above and other variations on the theme. Perhaps not. Either way, it’s all good.


If you want to know more

There is a book. I haven’t read it. It’s better that I keep things simple. But if you want to check it out, go to getoneword.com

I’m not trying to persuade you to do this or suggest this is an “Easy Button” to life change. It’s simple a clarifying tool that I have found helpful.


My Word for 2018

Previous words in past years have included gratitude, presence, love, good. Each year the word is different and reflects the context of my current life. This year the word came to me even before my birthday in December. Like a gift:

Depth.

It was inspired by this article: Go Deeper, Not Wider.