So I jumped on the bandwagon and thought about this for myself this year. 😉  I had heard about people doing this before and I actually thought it was a pretty good idea…the point being that you choose one word that will be your overall theme for the coming new year. A word that encompasses what the year will be all about, essentially.

Examples of others’ words include “joy,” “commitment,” “focus,” and “influence” to name a few.

Mine came to me in the hazy fog of a 24-hour bug that felled me the day after Christmas…sort of in that half-awake groggy sick state between all-day napping.

And it is…

Tah-dah….

DISCIPLINE.

At first glance it sounds mighty “upstream.”  Sort of staid and cold and honestly—not so much fun.

However, it’s exactly what I need. The discipline to not only get things done on a daily and even hourly basis in order to reach my goals for the year—but the discipline to be true to ME.  To be true to the things about myself that I sometimes squash down for the benefit of others, or because it’s easier or because I might appear “selfish.”

The discipline to continue to “feel the fear (of success/failure/judgments/uncomfortableness, etc.) and do it anyway,” to bust through the resistance that fights tooth and nail sometimes to keep me unfocused and distracted (here’s a great book recommendation if you’ve got that gremlin too, by the way), the discipline to work towards a bigger vision and show up in a bigger way and keep swatting down the little “who do you think you are” monsters that hop on my shoulders from time to time…

Ok, even the discipline to be healthy and exercise and keep the house clean and things like that as well. 😉

So to me, the word that seemingly feels harsh and joyless and like something to be dreaded is not that at all.  It’s absolutely divine because I know for certain it’s what will propel me forward faster, attract more success and joy to me, and at the end of the day, help me serve my clients and customers in a much bigger and better way.

I am so looking forward to the new year and I hope you are too.  There are going to be some big “re-branding” changes around here in the coming months and I am really excited about sharing those with you as well.  It’s all a part of the bigger and bolder vision that my one-word theme is anchoring for me.

If you have a “one word” or even just some thoughts about what the coming year is going to be about for you, I’d love to hear about it in the comments…and happiest of new years to you. 8)

Photo credit: supermarkethq.com