“INTENTIONAL
in·ten·tion·al
/inˈten(t)SH(ə)n(ə)l/
adjective
1. done on purpose; deliberate.”
Intentional was my 2019 Word of the Year. I was striving to be intentional in my relationships, my marriage, with my children, my faith, finding my passion and purpose…. all the things. So, how did I do? After reflecting back on 2019, I have self-rated myself as an 8.5. How would I have rated these areas of my life without having a Word of the Year? Probably like a 2…and that’s being gracious.
Everyone talks about creating New Year’s Resolutions and while I am not downplaying the importance of resolutions (although, New Year’s GOALS far outweigh the benefits of resolutions, in my opinion, but that’s another topic all together…) we need to be talking more about the importance of setting your intent for the year. Cue your Word of the Year aka WOTY. Your WOTY is your theme of the year and, if incorporated appropriately, will guide your decision – making, create positive movement towards your goals, and help streamline different areas of your life.
Reflecting back on 2019, the following were a few examples of how my WOTY, Intentional, helped my decision – making, created positive movement towards my goals and streamlined areas of my life.
Decision–Making:
My life purpose from a career perspective. I knew that I wanted to transition into something more fulfilling, but what? After taking careful consideration and being intentional about the things that filled my bucket, I realized that Life Coaching and helping women fulfill their purpose was my passion. I could have very easily been promoted in my current job or transitioned to a “better” job at another company, but nothing about that would have been intentional. I couldn’t have been intentional if I had stayed in my comfort zone. From there, everything I did was done deliberately, from selecting the institution in which I would earn my Life Coaching credentials, to defining my niche, to the Let’s Get It Girl brand and practice.
Created Positive Movement Toward My Goals:
One of my SMART goals for 2019 was to become more involved in my church community through volunteer roles by September. The church that I attend is very large and there are literally hundreds of ways to get involved. I very easily could have thrown a dart at a dart board to pick one or two, but that didn’t seem very intentional. Instead, I thought of opportunities that would be most fulfilling to me and most beneficial for the church. I intentionally chose the following two opportunities:
a. Section Leader – I am a super extrovert (shocking, I know) and love, love, love talking to people, so this was a perfect role for me. In a nutshell, I arrive to church early, pray over my section, talk with people as they come in and stay after the service to answer questions. Pretty great, right? Well, starting this year, in 2020, I have been asked to be a Section Leader Coach, which is awesome. Pretty sure, the intentional selection of that one worked out well.
b. Sisterhood – now, this may seem on the surface level that this would be a no-brainer, literally because my coaching practice is called, Let’s Get It Girl, and working with women is one of my passions. Yes, that was a big bonus, but there were so many other intentional reasons that I chose Sisterhood. Community, relationships, growing in my faith, etc. were among some of them. By the end of 2019, I was asked to lead a few Sisterhood events, in which I was so humbled and so grateful for. Another great win, thanks to my Word of the Year.
Streamlining Different Areas of My Life:
I felt in many ways that the relationships I had with people were very willy-nilly; I had a hard time understanding why I was saying “yes” to certain friendships. This was one of the biggest ways that my WOTY came into play – I truly feel that because I sat down and really thought intentionally about the friendships and people that I was sharing my time with I was able to really decipher which relationships made the most sense for me. A few intentional – focused questions that helped with this included:
a. What value am I bringing to this relationship and vice versa?
b. Is this a relationship that I want to pursue or am I just saying “yes?”
c. Does this relationship benefit not only me, but my husband/family and vice versa?
d. If we just met, would this be someone that I would naturally hang with?
Through this process, I was able to identify the relationships that really made sense and now, I have a really strong circle with room to grow! Setting the intention for 2020 could mean a make it or break it year for you; how nice would it be to have a little extra support during your decision – making processes, positive movement in your goals and assistance in streamlining areas of your life?
So, what’s my 2020 Word of the Year? Roots.
“Roots
/ro͞ots/
noun
1. the part of a plant which attaches it to the ground or to a support,
typically underground, conveying water and nourishment to
the rest of the plant via numerous branches and fibers.
2. the basic cause, source, or origin of something.
verb
1. cause (a plant or cutting) to grow roots.
2. establish deeply and firmly.”
In 2020, my WOTY theme will carry me as I prepare to become:
1. Rooted in my faith
2. Rooted in my family
3. Rooted in my physical health
4. Rooted in Let’s Get It Girl
What if you intentionally spent some time rooted in pursing your 2020 Word of the Year?
Just a thought…