Maybelle Crabtree here. Do not make resolutions if you want to change your life in this coming new year. Try one word instead. New Year’s resolutions are overrated. Try as hard as we may, we can’t keep them for the first month let alone an entire year. Yes, I would like to improve myself just like everyone else but resolutions always got me stressed out and depressed. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t keep them.
Maybe I made them to lofty. I don’t know. I had the best of intentions but by the end of January, I wasn’t even trying to keep them anymore. Then two years ago I found a book that changed my life. I know that sounds a little dramatic, but it’s true. It’s called One Word That Will Change Your Life by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page. Here’s the premise: instead of making goals and resolutions that will probably never be achieved, concentrate on just one word for a year. One word? You ask. One word for an entire year? That will change my life? Yes, concentrating on one word for 365 days will transform your life.
I’ll be upfront about this right now. I’m not getting anything out of this. No celebrity endorsement, no money, nothing. I just want to help you change your life like this book changed mine.
My One Word Story
I bought this book two years ago. The title peaked my interest which is what a good book title will do. I took it home and I read the entire book in one sitting. Okay, it’s only about 100 pages but it was intriguing. When I was done, I decided to give it a go. What did I have to lose? Nothing. And neither will you.
First thing I did was pray to God. I prayed that He would open my heart to the word I should live by for the next year. I narrowed it down to three words which I felt on my heart: courage, perseverance, and prayer. “Okay, God,” I prayed next. “Do your stuff. Which word will it be?”
Suddenly, I was bombarded with “signs” from God. They were everywhere: Bible verses, headlines I read, TV shows, and even casual conversations with people. Words like no fear, be brave, guts, and spunk surrounded me. Naturally I chose for my first annual word…prayer. Just kidding. Just checking to see if you’re still there. My first word was courage.
Now deep down inside me I am a meek and mild person. That might sound strange to some of you but it’s true. I’m not very vocal at meetings and sometimes I just go with the flow even though I don’t always think that’s the right thing to do. I sit in the back of the room not wanting to be noticed let alone be called upon to do or say something. So the word “courage” was really a challenging word for me. But I also knew that God would not steer me wrong so I accepted the challenge. Now I had to figure out how I would live out the word.
Living Out Your One Word
One of the suggestions the authors have is to keep your word front and center throughout the year. Here’s what I did. First I made a bracelet with the word “courage” on it. It’s not fancy by any means but it did the trick. I just pick up some plastic beads, letter tiles, and some stretchy string at the dollar store. I wore the bracelet all day long from the time I got up in the morning until I went to bed at night.
Another thing I did was get a soft, squishy stuffed lion that I named Ezekiel. Ezekiel means “God’s strength” and I figured I was going to need some of that God’s strength if I was going to be brave and courageous for a year. Also whenever I was discouraged or felt alone, I just gave Zeke a great big hug and held him as tight as I could until I felt better.
It Didn’t Happen Overnight
Slowly throughout the year, I felt courageous. How was I courageous you may be asking? I spoke up more and found out other people felt the same way I did but didn’t want to speak up. I dared to dream again and began to think about writing again. That’s something I hadn’t thought about since the kids were born. The rusty, old gears in my brain began turning again. Could I possible do something creative again?
Then the year ended and it was time for a new word. You see, you can’t have a do-over word. When it’s a brand new year you get a brand new word. And no recycled words either. Otherwise you’re short-changing yourself on your journey to growth and enlightenment. And I have found out that just because the “courage” year ended didn’t mean I stopped being courageous. I have continued. It’s part of my character now.
Now Where Was I?
Oh yes, new year, new word. So for this year’s words patience, trust, and love made the final three. Then Tom told me he was going to retire and there was no doubt about it; trust was this year’s winner. I trusted God that this decision was the right one and we wouldn’t kill each other in the process. And I trusted that God would take care of all our needs. Little did I realize how much trust I would have to have as the year went on.
Again I made a bracelet with “trust” on it. I even made another one which said “I Trust U Jesus” on it. A soft, squishy stuffed dog that I named Fido was brought into the house I know Fido is not the most original name for a dog, but the Latin root, “fid” means trust. So Fido is a pretty good name for any dog since they are trustful companions. I was now set for another part of my journey to begin. Now that part is almost over. Let me just say that without the courage and trust that I have found within me these last two years, I wouldn’t be writing this post on this website today. That’s how amazing these last two years have been for me. I’ll just leave it there but I could go on and on.
Three Steps In Your One Word Journey
So how can you begin this life changing journey? There are three steps.
- Prepare your heart by looking in. Unplug from all the busyness and distractions of life. Find an environment that is conducive to silence and solitude. Then you’ll be asking yourself three key questions: What do I need? What’s in my way? What needs to go? These three questions will help you find the true meaning in your life.
- Discover your word by looking up to the Creator. Plug in and make time for prayer. It’s doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just a simple conversation with God will do. You also need to listen up for God. Be open to the word God shares with you. And be ready for it to come in any form: a devotional or a song or even a dream.
- Live your word by looking out. Now it’s time to live it out and begin your journey to a new life. It won’t be easy. You’ll have obstacles to face and you have to get out of your comfort zone. But you’ll be better for it. I know I am.
Are You Ready?
Are you ready for the challenge now? If so, click here for more information. If not, pray about it and ponder. See what God wants you to do. You don’t have to start on January 1. Easter, July 4, Thanksgiving, or on your birthday are also good starting points. I usually start using my word around Chinese New Year. It gives me a few more days for pondering and preparing after the new year which is kind of a hectic period in our household.
To conclude, believe, purpose, and create have popped up in my head as good words for this year coming up. But I’m still in step one and maybe God has another word for me. I’ll have to wait and see. I hope you will join me on the journey. We could support and encourage each other along the way. What do you think? What word is weighing on your heart? Ask God for vision and see what happens. Again, click here for more information about the book and the resources available. Happy New Year everybody.
