Like you, we’ve been thinking about what we hope for 2013.
For the last few years, Hoots and I have picked a single word to represent what we wanted the next year’s focus to be. Our word for the year had to be something we could fit into our individual lives. Our word had to connect with our lives as “partners in all things” — spanning both the “Hoots and Thomas” personal and professional lives. The word of the year has to influence our family life. And it has to work as a center-point for Oneicity and our service to clients.
In 2011 our word was FIT. We took steps to get in shape. We worked to find FIT in our professional lives. We made sure we really FIT our clients. Our solutions and strategies had to fit each unique client situation (we don’t do cookie-cutter strategies). And we worked hard to have great team members who fit Oneicity culture. Fit was tough, but made 2011 a pivotal year in many, many ways.
In 2012, our word was CELEBRATE. CELEBRATE led to the Birthdaypalooza party: A gathering of as many of the people we love as we could get into one place. We celebrated God’s faithfulness and the blessing of rich, deep relationships. All year, we looked for ways to celebrate big moments and small moments. We celebrated team victories and client wins. We even closed the year by arranging some celebrations for 2013 (we had so much fun celebrating we couldn’t stop).
The word for 2013 didn’t come quickly or easily. Hoots and I each had different ideas and nominations for the word. I was pushing hard for a word I loved, but Hoots just wasn’t buying it. We debated and researched. There’s always that moment when one of us (usually Hoots) goes to Dictionary.com and begins reading definitions — including all the synonyms and all the antonyms. It’s almost a ritual.
It was when Hoots was reading me definitions that 2013’s word became clear and garnered instant agreement from both of us.
Our word for 2013 is RESOLVE.
Here’s Dictionary.com’s first definition: “to come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine (to do something).”
That works, but wasn’t the magical shift. The other definitions are what wowed me.
“In music: to progress from a dissonance to a consonance” — I liked that a lot. That’s often how we help clients . . . moving from confusing dissonance and problems to order and solutions. That’s what I need in my personal life. That’s a lot of what Hoots and Thomas are doing in our professional lives.
Another definition: “to find the answer or solution to; solve” . . . Hey, that’s our work as well.
That’s our DNA.
So in 2013, Hoots and Thomas name our word for the year as RESOLVE. We’re saying “out loud”* that in 2013 we will be about moving from dissonance to order. We’re taking steps in every way, in every part of our lives to declare the firm decision to move away from chaos to solutions.
In 2013, Oneicity will be guided by RESOLVE. Delivering decisive solutions for clients. Helping great organizations and leaders find clarity in confusing times.
So what about you?
How do you deal with a bright shiny new year?
If you make resolutions, would you share them?
If you choose a word, what’d you pick?
I know several people pick words for their year. For example, the great thinker and blogger Chris Brogan chooses three. And I know Rebekah Basinger over at Generous Matters chooses three words, too. Also Hoots’ social media mentor Mari Smith chooses a word for each year.
1 word or 3 words. Resolutions or not. Whatever you do to mark the beginning of 2013, I hope you’ll share the journey with us. It’s going to be a great ride.
*In the Oneicity e-newsletter I talked about the power of “saying things out loud” in moments like this. (And if you don’t get the Oneicity e-newsletter, sign up and give it a try. I think you’ll find it interesting and maybe helpful. You can sign up here).
Steve Thomas
Partner, Oneicity
(photo credit: Steve Thomas)
Find Steve on Instragram: oneicity_st
16 thoughts on “a word for the year 2013”
My word this year is Start. I am notorious at procrastinating, or as I like to call it “Concrastinating” there’s no Pro about it. I have too many things that I put off because “I don’t have the time.” But, that’s just stupid. I put off small things because I don’t like doing them, but then they don’t take very long…and they’re done. So, my goal, above and beyond starting big things is to start the little things, too. It’s a “Just Do It” attitude.
RESOLVE says so much! While I haven’t yet secured a buy-in from by life partner and Oneicity team member, Dorothy Doyle, I will be proposing THRIVE as something I want to focus on in the coming year. I like the idea of well-being and harmony mixed up with growth and forward progress implicit in THRIVE. I want my business associates to thrive by rising to new challenges. I want my clients to thrive through well thought our team efforts. I want to see my extended family thrive by growing closer and healthily interdependent. It will be fun keeping track of resolve and thrive this coming year.
Thanks, Steve, for the shout out to Generous Matters today. You’ve made a great case for one word for the year, and I look forward to watching you live with resolve in 2013. I’m proud to share this corner of the blogosphere with you.
Strong word choice Hoots and Thomas. RESOLVE is powerful. It has a lot of good courageous energy. Whatever 2013 throws at you – you are up for it.
Al and Dorothy, THRIVE is so full of life and joy and possibility. I fully expect to see you thrive.
Brad, I would never think of you and procrastination in the same thought so I would never think you needed START. Buy perhaps you are referring to your own private dreams, not the projects of others.
GRACE. That’s my word for 2013. I didn’t it. It chose me. I’m a beginner when it comes to grasping how much grace has been shown to me. I’m not talking about the BIG “G” grace. I know I have that, and sometimes I even feel it strongly enough to where it actually influences my actions. (That was kind of a joke, but not really.) I’m talking about the omnipresent grace that permeates the universe that I bathe in everyday, mostly unaware. If I can be more aware, maybe I can show others more grace. That would be the appropriate response. I’d like to make a another joke now, cause this feels a little awkward, but I will resist. This is serious. Words are powerful – they contain the ideas that motivate us and they can wind up determining a life. So I’m saying out loud that I want to show more grace to others – in everything.
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” Rudyard Kipling
I hoped to be drugged by GRACE.
That’s an interesting take on the New Year, picking a word. I think of steely determination when I think of resolve. Which coincidentally is probably the essence of 2013 for me. No holds barred, give it everything I’ve got. It’s a good feeling on the other side knowing you did your best and no regrets. Here’s to a grand 2013, wherever it leads.
@Brad — Concrastination! What a fun word play. I’m so happy START is your word for this year. That’ll make a huge difference in your 2013. Can’t wait to see where you go with START.
st
@Al — THRIVE has a lot of possibilities and nuances. I like it. What Hoots and I have found is that there is great value in finding/gaining agreement with another person. It’ll be fun to see what you and Dorothy decide on. And if it is THRIVE, I know you will.
st
@Deb — GRACE. One of my favorite words (and there’s a song or two with that theme that are dear to me). I know you to be drawn to grace and to be one who extends grace so I can’t wait to see what a year of GRACE will be for you.
May we all be drugged by Grace.
st
Once upon a time, I was an “Amateurcrastinator”, then graduated into the pro circuit. But, after going pro, I soon realized that there’s little money to be made there.
@Rebekah — Great to hear from you. I loved your words: Restraint. Focus. Adaptability. Could grab any of them for myself.
Honored to share thinking with you here in the wild west of the blogosphere. You have things to say I like.
Can’t wait to see where 2013 takes us.
st
@April — Steely determination is you! It’s a joy to know you better and be able to see that up close. 2013 will be breath-taking for you April.
st
My favorite thing about this word is that it is both a noun and a verb. I love, as April says, that it is steely determination, but it’s also the choice to decide…to decide strong and with gusto. It’s about not settling or questioning, rather bravely, boldly moving forward doing what is right and best for us and our home and our family and of course Oneicity.
@Hoots — You’re such a great word person and boy do you pick good words. (You really should comment on the blog more often).
st
My word for the year is: DELIBERATE. For most of my adult life I have either served in the military in uniform or supported the military as a civilian employee. Out of necessity, I learned how to evaluate various inputs, and make quick decisions. This year I want to slow things down a bit, to be deliberate (adjective) in my relationships, my work, and in my recreation. I want to be more deliberate in growing closer to my Creator, to understand what His intentions are for me. I also want to deliberate (verb) on what is most important in my life.
@Scott — Great word that will bless your year without question! And extra points for multi-part of speech usage! Can’t wait to see how the year goes. (And good job on “saying it out loud”).
st
My word for this year [and I never knew about anybody else doing one word resolutions] was FINISH. I have so many projects I have started and left incomplete. It starts with losing more weight to get to goal, and along with that my intentions to get back to being fit at the Y, healthy for myself and my doctor. It includes my handwork projects knit and crocheted, and weeding out stuff that I have accumulated that gets in the way of living.