Jon Gordon has been talking about ONE WORD for 9 years and it has spread like wildfire. Sports teams, large corporations and small businesses use the ONE WORD to kick start each year. Nonet Reese and Tricia Young at Three Sixty have been doing it almost the entire time their company has been in existence.
Where it all began
Nonet had the opportunity to hear Jon speak at a real estate conference approximately 8 years ago. To say she was moved is an understatement. According to Nonet: “Throughout my life I had never really liked the idea of New Year’s Resolutions. When came back and told Tricia about the ONE WORD and shared some of Jon’s thoughts, she felt the same. from that moment we have incorporated ONE WORDs into each year. Truly the ONE WORD takes on a life of its on now across the Three Sixty family of companies.”
During goal setting meetings toward the end of every year we ask each team member to embrace ONE WORD personally and as a team we come up with ONE WORD for the company. We write all of the words down and they reside prominently on a large chalk board in the office, making it special all year long.
The importance of ONE WORD for Nonet
The ONE WORD allowed me to let go of New Year’s resolutions that I felt like I had to make even though they never stuck and I didn’t give them the follow through they may have deserved. I LOVE every word I have ever had, and several will never go away from my heart. My ONE WORD truly sinks into my entire world – family life, work life, decision making, you name it. Each year is different, sometimes the ONE WORD you have known about for months before the new year and others take until February to figure out.
A New Decade and Changes On the Horizon in Family Life
2020 is one of the tougher years to nail down a word. The new decade and the new year will bring a lot of changes to my family life. I have a senior in high school who will be leaving for college and another close behind. I want to relish in the few last months and years I have with my children at home.
ONE WORDs can be “goal” oriented, like a sales or income or weight, or they can be the way you want to live your life day in and day out. I have several floating around my head:
- LIVE
- ENERGY
- RELISH
- EMBRACE
- ACHIEVE
One of these will rise to the top and become the focus of my year.
Tricia’s journey to finding her 2020 ONE WORD
I thought my ONE WORD was going to be something different. I had been thinking about it for months, thought it was settled and then one day, as it happens, something was put in front of my face that moved me. It was the feelings I was having in my heart put into words by someone else. I didn’t realize at this moment that my WORD was changing, but over the next few weeks I just couldn’t get it off my mind…. And that’s when you know!
I’ve had ONE WORDS come to me easily- sometimes I determine them months in advance, sometimes I am struggling into the first of the new year. I’ve even repeated a word because I felt like I.just.didn’t.do.it the year before!
A year of transition
I spent the first few days of the new year trying to get settled into my new office. It has been a trip down memory lane for sure. Amongst many other significant things, I came across 2 items that spoke to me. The first was a blog post I had saved from Emily Freeman titled “Let go to make room for something new.” As I enter into a new decade (not just 2020, but the decade of my 40’s), I realize it’s time for me to let go. When I first chose my WORD, I didn’t realize that is what I was actually saying to myself, but as I read this blog post I had saved over 2 years ago, it all made sense: I choose to be free – free from the things that steal my peace and clutter up my mind & heart:
Today I make room for peace even though chaos ensues. I make room for hope even though my to-do list is longer than my not-to-do list.
Is there good, important work hiding beneath the clutter on your desk?
Am I holding onto something that is cluttering up my heart?
Moving on to a new decade
Here’s looking forward to the next decade! I am beyond thankful for the lessons of the past 10 years. I’ve experienced some of my highest highs and lowest lows. I’ve been stretched, I’ve cried, I’ve learned, I’ve lost, I’ve loved and had a broken heart. I’ve felt energy and passion I’ve never known before. I’ve lost my focus beyond belief and had to find my way back. God has worked on me over and over and he just never stops, and I find it amazing! I’ve studied myself and I’ve learned so much. And I’ve had the blessing of growing, making necessary changes, and accepting some parts of who I naturally am and just being grateful for that woman.
Letting go doesn’t mean forgetting, it just means we stop carrying the energy of the past into the present.
In 2020, I resolve to be FREE:
From…
- Regret
- Self-doubt
- Clutter (mental & physical)
- Guilt
- The past
- Habits that no longer serve me
To….
- Love
- Be kind
- Succeed
- Surrender
- Be my best self
- Forgive
- Grow
The 2nd item I found in my office move was Brené Brown’s “Manifesto of the Brave & Brokenhearted.” In this manifesto she states:
When we deny our stories, they define us. When we run from struggle, we are never free. So we turn toward truth and look it in the eye.
Sharing more of my story
In 2020, I look forward to sharing more of my story, so that others will share theirs too. For it’s through sharing our stories that we encourage and connect with one another.
Thanks to Nonet Reese for introducing me to Jon Gordon and ONE WORD’s so many years ago! They’ve had much more depth and meaning to them than with any New Year’s Resolutions from the past. I don’t feel like I let myself down so much with my word, it’s more of an opportunity to learn about myself and grow, not beat myself up for falling short! If you’ve never tried it before, I encourage you to pick a word and go for it! Happy 2020!