I’m doing that One Word exercise that everyone goes crazy about this time of year (i.e., the pre-New Year’s holidays). The concept is that you choose one word to focus on as a mantra, catalyst, intention, and simplifier. Many people choose aspirational words like Inspire, Breathe, Elite, Love, Ask, Fearless, etc.

I’m taking this exercise with a grain of salt, but I also want it to be helpful/useful as long as I’m doing it. (Also, the book is really, REALLY terribly written, which is why I gave it 2 stars on Goodreads, but that is neither here nor there.)

The lead-up exercises were actually incredibly helpful for me — basically, you answer three very simple questions and then brainstorm a list of words. The questions are:

1. What do I need?
2. What’s in my way?
3. What needs to go?

While answering these questions, I discovered a lot about myself. Turns out the items I listed in question 1 were all true needs (what I actually need), and the items in question 2 were false needs (“shoulds” and distractions that aren’t vital).

For example:

1. What do I need?

• Space in which to do creative work (mental & physical)
• Peace, calm, and rest
• To understand that I have autonomy over my life
• To feel unconditionally loved and accepted by my family & close friends
• To constantly learn and grow
• To love, heal, help, & support my friends

2. What’s in my way?

• Office clutter
• My pre-conceived notions about what love and success are
• False/invented boundaries & dependencies
• Others’ perceptions of my work; others’ values
• Guilt, fear, and a scarcity mindset

3. What needs to go?

• See Question #2. 🙂

After you answer those questions, you’re supposed to concentrate and (if you’re religiously or spiritually inclined) commune with God/your higher power of choice about the word that is meant for you. As the book says, “Write down what comes to your heart.”

So I wrote down ALL THE THINGS that came to my heart:

• Learn
• Evolve
• Heal
• Vision
• Create
• Freedom
• Grow
• Clean
• Focus

Initially, I was leaning toward Learn because of some things that I can’t tell you yet that are slated to move forward in 2019. (More on that later, hopefully!) But none of them felt… right.

So I asked my good friend and mentor Rebecca what I should pick. She asked me what my intention was for 2019, and I said, “To grow, get better, become something more, evolve?”

She asked, “What’s the overarching theme there?” and I had to think for a moment. (Okay, several moments. Mullllllllltiple moments.)

The words that she had in mind for me were Rise and Soar — which are very good words, but still not… I don’t know. Earthy enough for me.

So I caved and opened up the thesaurus. And almost immediately, I saw my word: Flourish. It has that earthiness — plants flourish as they grow and develop. And it has the connotations of growth and evolving that I was looking for — and in a healthy way. Something that flourishes is growing in a healthy, nourished, successful way. And finally, Flourish has creative connotations, as in the flourish of a pen.

It’s very unexpected — Flourish — but it makes me smile. And I think it’s something I’m finally ready for.

Happy almost-2019, everyone. What is YOUR one word?

P.S. My word for 2018 was Audacity, which was not only my focal intent but a tongue-in-cheek reference to the podcast editing software I use. 🙂 It worked really well, and I was certainly more audacious than I had ever been. So I’m looking forward to seeing how 2019’s word will change me — or how I will change myself because of it.