One word can make all the difference
At my work we were challenged to choose one word to focus on for the next year. I loved this! I pondered words I had used to motivate me in the past, searching for my right focus word… focus, determination, miracle. None of them felt right for where I was at now. Now. NOW. That would be my word for 2020.
Now fends off procrastination
The word “now” directly challenges my natural inclination to plan to do something or make a list. I’m not knocking lists – in fact, I love my lists! I find them very helpful. I also often set goals for getting something done, but sometimes I fail to meet my deadlines and start over with a new goal. Some things don’t need all those intermediary steps. Sometimes now is when the thing should be done.
My outside-of-work want list for 2020
There are so many things I want to do this year like:
- Travel to Italy
- Finish my novel
- Exercise
Sadly, I had all of those things on my list wish list for last year, too. So what happened? Maybe it was because I didn’t have a NOW mindset.
Any of these things on my “want-to-do” list could slip through 2020, too. Time is fleeting. The 365 days ahead of us each year seem to go faster with each passing year. Now will help me on my journey to making these things happen. Pastor Mike Ashcraft wrote an entire book on the choosing one-word idea.
Now says –
If you want to go to Italy this year, you’d better see if you need to renew your passport NOW.
If you want to have energy to go to travel abroad and write your novel, you had better exercise NOW.
If you want to finish that novel, you better write at least a page of it NOW.
Later we’ll look back
Now means that later, when I look back on this year, I will see that I did those things I could have put off. I will have accomplished my goals. I will NOT have waited until the year got away from me, again. I will have done all the things I wanted to: Now.