Usually at this point in time, I’ve put up my list of goals on the blog for the new year.

But not this year.

In 2014, I tried a new-to-me experiment.  I picked ONE WORD…but I still set quite a few goals for myself.  In 2015, I’m just picking ONE WORD.  What I’ve learned about myself over the past 12 months is that I need to listen and be in God’s presence more than I need to make tons of goals for myself.  I have this tendency to rush ahead and attempt to fix things myself–always thinking if I just have enough will-power and self-control or if I just accomplish everything on my list, I will somehow have arrived.

Now…I’m not saying goals are bad or you shouldn’t have goals!  I’m just realizing my tendency to seek achievement over being, and I desperately need to follow the Spirit instead of my goals and to-do lists. If I’m prompted to write down a goal, then I will, but I’m just not making goal-setting my focus this new year.  Instead, I’m seeking to listen and follow wherever God leads.

This year, I want to challenge you to choose ONE WORD for 2015.  How many resolutions have you made over the past years?  How many of them can you remember?  How many did you stick with?  I truly believe if you choose one word for the year, think about it, and filter your experiences through it, you will be changed and remember the word for years to come.  Words are powerful and focus is powerful.  Choosing to focus on just one word is just plain powerful!

If you haven’t ever tried the One Word experiment, here are a few steps to get you going (I highly recommend checking out My One Word to walk you through the process more completely):

1)  Choose Your Word

Grab a journal or some paper and begin to write down some words that are meaningful to you or that God is speaking to your heart.  Sit with those words.    Define the words.  Use a concordance and find Scriptures related to those words.  Pray over those words.  Begin to narrow down your list.

You may know right away what your word is–but it may take a few days or even a few weeks to choose it.

2)  Remember Your Word

Once you’ve chosen your word, you need to find a way to remember it!  Write it on notecards and post them around your house.  Be artistic and design a canvas with your word.  Add it to your social media profiles.  Put it on your computer screen.  Set a reminder for it to pop-up daily on your phone.  There are tons of ways to keep the word in front of you, so pick a few and get started!

3)  Listen…and Obey

When you first choose your word, you may have a pretty good plan for how you think the word is going to apply in your life this year.  Be aware!  The words we choose can often morph meaning.  For example, I chose the word AWAKE in 2014.  I had a pretty good idea what I thought that meant for me, but by the end of the year, I realized that God was using the word to make me aware of my tendency to “zone out” on media and not be fully AWAKE and present with my family.  Your word may make you uncomfortable or it may show you some areas that God wants to transform.  Don’t run or give up on your word–let it set with you for a whole year.

4)  Journal Your Journey

Whether you consider yourself a writer or not, I highly recommend choosing a journal and documenting your journey.  Write down your experiences…write down your thoughts…write down your hopes…just write!  I have found writing to help me process and learn things about myself, my family, and God that I would have missed.  It doesn’t have to be extensive or take a ton of time.

5)  Invite Others on Your Journey

Share your ONE WORD with others this year and invite them to try it, too.  Imagine if everyone in your family or circle of friends or church did this! It would be a great way to find out how someone else is doing and what’s going on with them.

How about it?  Could you do it?  Are you in?  Have you ever tried this before?

I’ll share my word in the next few days over at FaithfullyNourished.com.