2016: Let’s Start This Off Right

HNY

 

It’s January 02nd loves – how are you feeling? I’m relishing this quiet time after all the new year hype…it’s like I’m in a little bubble enjoying making all my plans and “real life” will start back up again on Monday.

For now, in this weekend respite…I’m just filled with gratitude to be here. It’s 2016 baby. This is the future! We made it. As I write this, I’m sipping some wine, my favourite candle is lit – a wonderful blend of eucalyptus and spearmint – and I cannot help but be thankful to God for showing me that all that I seek is coming to me.

I am thankful for all the dreams I don’t have to close my eyes to see anymore. I am so thankful for what is right now. I am thankful for this cozy state of isness…this state of gratitude. It is in this warm, loved-up place I settle in to share with you my One Word for 2016.

Choosing My One Word

I gave up making resolutions three years ago. Instead I choose one word that guides the rest of my year. You can read more about the movement here.

My word for 2014 was MOVE, however, I spent most of that year feeling like I was waiting for something to happen..or that I was in a state of perpetual anticipation for something…but I never found out what.

When it came to choosing my theme for 2015, I felt like I needed to get out of that place of “waiting.” Which lead me to PUSH.

PUSH was about getting up every day and pushing against or through everything that was holding me back from living my best life. PUSH was my reinvention of sorts. As it turned out, my best decision business-wise and creativity-wise was to put myself as often as possible in the same room with people who inspired me. 

That decision led to me meeting some of my favourite bloggers and collaborating on projects with people I admire. I travelled to new places and tried new things. But it wasn’t all grins and giggles. This year was one of the best and one of the hardest years in my life. Some might say…it was a normal year then.

But 2015 flattened me. I got hit with many obstacles that required I dig deep within and PUSH myself through them. I had to pick myself up many times and trust that it was all working out’ so that I could evolve into the woman God created me to be and live the life I am working so hard to create. What. A. Year.

Enter 2016.

In Choosing my One Word for 2016, I got clear on what I wanted to feel this year. The kind of experiences I wanted to have. The kind of results or changes do I wanted to see over the course of the next 12 months. And what I wanted to be most thankful for a year from now.

Thus, my one word for 2016 is FOCUS. This is a serious word. And I know that this is going to be a conservative year for me. A year of behind-the-scenes work as I hone my craft. The way I see it, sharpening my focus in some key areas will ultimately magnify the impact I have on the people in my life.

FOCUS will actually be an acronym for my intentions for the rest of the year ahead:

The F in FOCUS will stand for Flourish. Merriam-Webster defines flourish – to grow well : to be healthy. I have set an intention to cease, desist and just plain stop doing things that don’t have a positive impact on me and thus, the people around me. I want to flourish creatively by committing to put my best effort into creating the best content for this blog and sharing that content with you all.

The O in FOCUS will stand for Open and Outcomes. It’s funny that as a blogger, who writes about her life, I am setting an intention to be more open. But it is what it is. I want to be more open with the real me. I want to be more open-minded. As for outcomes…my intention is that I want to let go of my attachment to them. I have made all my plans, I know exactly what I have to do to take the next small step towards realizing my goals. And I want to let go of the ‘outcome’. I want to trust the journey this year and not get too caught up in the destination or how far away I am from it.

The C in FOCUS will stand for Create and Collaboration. I want to create something lasting that has a positive impact on woman and young girls. This is the first time I am putting this here, in this space for the world to see. But you, dear reader, are my accountability partner. I want you to hold me responsible for making this happen. I have been feeling the call to create a community for woman and I have been sticking so hard it’s not funny. I also want to collaborate with the right people in 2016 at the right time to achieve this goal.

The U in FOCUS stands for Unfuckwithable. I borrowed this one from Ash Ambirge. You can read more in her post On Becoming Unfuckwithable. 2015 taught me that Obstacles Are Good. And they will always come because “…there are always going to be days—weeks, months, years—where everything feels hard. There are always going to be people who do wrong by you, emails you don’t want to answer, decisions you don’t know how to make, money you don’t know where to find, surprises you wish never came, the weight of the world pressing and pressing and pressing, and one more reason why you just couldn’t get to it yet.”  And all that is okay. Because 2016 is about becoming unfuckwithable. “It’s knowing what you want, going out there, and making it happen—and not apologizing for being unconventional or making mistakes or having to ask one more time, or for doing it in the first place. You just are. Unfuckwithable is making your own opportunities instead of waiting for someone to give you one. Unfuckwithable is building your own doors—and then knocking on them. Unfuckwithable is what happens when you believe that your work matters. Andunfuckwithable is an attitude.”  Thank you, Ash!

The S in FOCUS will stand for Self-Love, Surrender, Serve and Strong. This year I set an intention for radical self-love. I want to fall deeply and passionately in love with myself. I want to stop apologizing for who I am and I want to stop my nasty self-talk. I want to create my best life and the only way to do that…is to love myself – as I am, where I am, flaws and all. I also want to surrender to and serve as the Lord has been calling me to do. And finally, I set an intention to be strong – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Additionally, I started a 5-year Gratitude Journal and have made a commitment to update it nightly as well as to read and review 24 books in 2016.

FOCUS
FOCUS. It’s a big word and I am ready for the challenge. I want to be proud of this one life I’m creating — like really effing proud of it. But living a life you are proud of is only possible if you are intentional about what you day to day. It’s about how well you do the little things, the mundane things that add up to a life well-lived. Thus, FOCUS will be my guide.

Here’s to Abundance, Adventure and Infinite Possibilities. May 2016 be your best year yet!

What about you? Do you make resolutions or do you choose one word as well? Feel free to share below. I love hearing from you.

 

9 Comments

  1. January 3, 2016 / 1:53 am

    I’m so glad you are not trying to do too much, Vernette. All you have to do is stay focussed 😉
    By the way, I notice you have dropped the “like” button on your posts. You may miss a few likes as a result, but it forces us to think seriously about whether to comment or not. No ‘lightweights’ around you from now on. 🙂 Grace and Peace, Ken

    • Vernette
      Author
      January 3, 2016 / 7:19 am

      Lol! Thank you for reading Ken. Thank you for the support as well. I actually didn’t realize the “Like” button was disabled. I’m trying to figure out why that happened. But for now, I appreciate the comments. I appreciate you.

    • Vernette
      Author
      January 3, 2016 / 7:28 am

      Fixed the “Like” button issue. Thanks for telling me about it Ken.

      • January 10, 2016 / 12:38 am

        I’m not able to see the like button either, but it may be on my end 🙁 Was there a trick to get it to pop up? This deserves a like

        • Vernette
          Author
          January 10, 2016 / 1:57 pm

          Hmmm I thought it was activated across the board. Will investigate further.

  2. Mariana
    January 5, 2016 / 8:28 am

    Unique. I never thought of the ‘one word’ resolution, but it sounds interesting. I like this word Focus. With your permission I would like to borrow it, for what I planned for 2016, that one word sums it up.Thanks much.

    • Vernette
      Author
      January 5, 2016 / 7:00 pm

      I love the ‘One Word’ movement. It really forces you to go deeper. Of course you can use FOCUS! I love that it resonated with you!

  3. January 10, 2016 / 12:28 am

    So enjoyed this. I got to the “Unfuckwithable” part and lost it , that is going to be my mantra and the attitude I strive for this year. Focus is a great goal

    • Vernette
      Author
      January 10, 2016 / 1:58 pm

      Awww I’m happy. Looking forward to reading about your 2016 journey!

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