One Word… This was a book written by 3 authors who allowed ONE WORD to be their driving force for the year. Everyone has ONE WORD that is meant for them right now. You will FIND the one that is meant for you and you will LIVE it (or try to) every day.

Step 1: Who are you? Who do you want to be? In brainstorming for your ONE WORD, consider the following questions and record your responses. These can be full sentences or a bulleted list. What kind of person do you want to be at the end of this year? How do you want to live your life? What do you need more of? (religion, relaxation, balance). What characteristics or qualities do you have or want to have? (i.e. compassionate, generous, loyal, motivated, etc.) What things or qualities are important to you? (Faith, loyalty, balance, will-power, etc.) What may be lacking in life that is needed/wanted? (Time, sleep, love, ) What would you like to do more of (forgive, sleep, relax, etc.)

Step 2: Choose your ONE WORD Look over what you wrote and pick ONE WORD that you can commit to for the next year. There might be several, but don’t over-reach or set your expectations too high. This ONE WORD should be something that is not currently present in your life. For example, if you already feel as though you’re loyal/possess loyalty, then don’t choose it. This can be an adjective (thankful), a noun (balance) or a verb (pray). The point is to find ONE WORD that will give you something to aspire towards/live for each day.

Step 3: Making a Poster Once you have chosen your word, you will create a poster with that word on it. Although we are not all artists, I want you to make these as create/lively/colorful as you can because I will be displaying ALL of them around the room. In other words, don’t just write the word “Money” on it and call it a day. Be creative even if that just means finding a way to write it big and bold and green . On the back, explain why you chose your word AND some ways you might be able to live it out. My ONE WORD for 2015-2016 is _______ because….

Step 4: Tracking Your Progress This process isn’t meant to be a piece of cake. Living out your ONE WORD may seem unnatural because, simply put, you haven’t lived it before. It is not a part of your world or who you’ve been up to this point. Periodically, you will be journaling your progress on this assignment, Find a way to remind yourself about your word (i.e. reminders, screensavers, daily tasks, etc.) Ms. O will be completing this mission and journaling along with you.