By Lessa Harding
Like many of you, I received a lot of advice while I was growing up. Some of the phrases people shared with me, like “life is an adventure” or “remember who you are,” have stuck with me and shaped who I am without my even knowing it. Every time I get scared to try something new, I think to myself, “Life is an adventure, so let’s have one!” Every time I feel as if I’m a failure, I hear my mother’s voice in my head, saying to me, “Remember who you are!” Then I am able to pick myself up and try again.
Over the years I have realized the importance of not only internalizing good advice but also doing my part to consciously shape who I am into who I want to become. I have repeated self-affirmations, set goals, and made New Year’s resolutions; yet I consistently felt overwhelmed and unsuccessful if the affirmations didn’t prove true or if I didn’t complete a resolution. It was so discouraging that I quit setting goals completely for almost two years. Thankfully, someone introduced me to LDSPMA and their annual conference.
When I attended my first LDSPMA conference, I was privileged to participate in a workshop taught by Michelle McCullough based on her book Make It Happen Blueprint. This workshop introduced me to an idea simple enough that I didn’t feel overwhelmed and profound enough to change the way I think about “becoming.” The idea can be stated in five words – choose a single-word vision.
Michelle shares this practice in the first chapter of Make It Happen Blueprint. At the start of every year, she chooses a single word she wants to define and shape the upcoming year. This word is meant to describe what she wants more than anything else for herself during the days and months ahead (McCullough 4).
I loved this idea! It was simple and straightforward, and it reminded me of the phrases shared with me in my childhood. I have experienced how powerful a simple phrase or theme can be. So I decided to try Michelle’s advice, and it made all the difference.
In her book, Michelle does not provide a great deal of detail about this single-word vision concept. In fact, the topic is covered in only three brief paragraphs. Yet as members of the Church, we should be especially aware of how powerful something so “small and simple” can be (Alma 37:6).
My word of the year for 2020 is “Believe!” I want to believe more deeply in Christ. I want to believe in the power of faith and goodness to a greater degree than ever before. I want to believe that I can change and grow into the person that I desire to become. And I want to believe that my dreams are worthwhile and achievable.
If this concept of a single-word vision resonates with you, I urge you to spend some time thinking about a word you could use to define your own journey for the year, and then return next week to read a follow-up article by Michelle about how focusing on your chosen word can lead to better and more successful goals and outcomes.
Meanwhile, I’d love to hear what you think of this idea! Please feel free to email me at [email protected], comment on this post, or even share your thoughts about it on social media (#singleword).
I can’t wait to chat with you again next week when Michelle shares her article. See you then!
Lessa
P.S. If you would like to read Michelle’s book Make It Happen Blueprint, it can be purchased on Amazon or on her website. Happy reading!
Works Cited
McCullouch, Michelle. Make It Happen Blueprint: 18 High Performance Practices to Crush It in Life and Business Without Burning Out. Morgan James Publishing, 2017.