One Word

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

The last few years my friend Alece has picked one word as her theme for the entire year. And then she tries to make sure that she is all about that word all year long. I love her heart and the intentionality behind it.

But I tried picking the word “action” last year. And although I do think it helped me get off the couch and get in gear, I wouldn’t say that “action” defined my 2010. So I was a little hesitant about picking a word again this year, but I have decided to take the plunge and try again. Because if picking a great word and being all about that word defines one day, or guides one right decision, it is a good thing.

Without further adieu, my word for 2011 is “honesty.”

It’s not that I struggle with dishonesty. It’s that I struggle with wanting everyone to like me, with not wanting to rock the boat, with being bold enough to put it ALL out there, and so I shrug away from the hard conversation and settle for less, for less than honesty.

Now, don’t worry, I am not about to get all up in things that are not my business. I am not going to create an environment that doesn’t ooze love and grace. But I am going to work on speaking my heart and mind…with honesty.

Have you picked one word for 2010? What is it and why?

Oh, and please go check out my new and improved “about” page. Sarah Markley wrote it for me and I LOVE it!

January 3, 2011 in Life with 77 Comments

About Lindsey: Lindsey recently joined Project 7 as their Director of Community. And is in the process of figuring out how to live life California-style.

All Posts by Lindsey | Personal Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Share By Email

http://www.chezcrazy.org Amanda_Sims

I love that! I deal with that people-pleasing thing too. Ouch.

My word is "surrender". I'm a little scared, I don't mind telling you!

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

bold. i like it.

http://www.anidolheart.com Grant Jenkins

Love your word, Lindsey! I'm interested in hearing more about this oozing environment, as well. This is the first time I've done this and my word is ENGAGE, and I think it is a really good fit. We shall see. Happy New Year to you, my friend.
My recent post One Word 2011- ENGAGE

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

i will fill you in on the ooze someday soon.

http://bahava.wordpress.com Katy

i like it! i’ve been on the same wrestling journey to make sure i’m honest and let my yes be yes even if it rocks the boat or causes hard conversations. hard stuff, but great rewards and deeper intimacy! you’re going to have a great year

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

thank katy! glad to know i'm not alone in it.

idelette

Love it … Looking forward to your 2011 posts as you unpack it.

I pick a word too and have for years. But I'm still thinking through this year's and will post on it. No, it's not #suspense. (Although that could make for an interesting year.) Btw, checked out your new About page. How great that a friend wrote it! #Lovely. And I see Vancouver on there. That's a girl!

My recent post Gloriously Big Little Moments of 2010

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

i LOVE vancouver.

http://www.culturesmithconsulting.com Cheryl Smith

I'm in the Chris Brogan three words camp. So far, I've chosen two for 2011: Breathe and Simplify. I'm still waiting on an epiphany for the third word.

By the way, cool idea to have a friend write your about page. Might have to give that a go soon.
My recent post New Year’s Ponderings

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

ooh, i like both those. i told sarah she needs to start a business writing about pages.

http://www.facebook.com/jlgerhardt Jennifer Gerhardt

I moved into a house on Liberty Ave. this week. So I'm going with Liberty. Two days in and it already feels right.
My recent post Practicing Waiting- How I Deal with Loss at Christmas

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

liberty…very cool!

Melissa

I wasn't sure about doing this, but I felt like God kept pestering me with the words "abide" and "sacrifice." I know, two words, but since God gave them to me I'm not going to argue with Him about breaking the rules.
My recent post Thoughts from the Pot- The Random Musings of a Husband

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

i'm sorry. those are two tough words.

Melissa

Tough…but I'm hoping it means that there's big things ahead!
My recent post Sometimes you just have to write it out…

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

two tough ones!

http://jenniferbryant.me Jennifer

I went with fearless. 2011 is going to be the year I take chances and live without fear of judgement, of failure, of rejection. It’s ironic, because picking that word scares me a little!

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

as it should

http://www.gritandglory.com alece

i was "mmhmmm"-ing as i read this. i struggle SO much with wanting to be accepted and liked. the result is that i often feel like a chameleon, changing to fit the people i'm with. that's gotta go! for me, i feel like that process is starting with a whole of self-discovery. but it won't stick without a commitment to be honest and authentic with who i am.

grateful for you and your friendship as we head into a new year. can't imagine my life without you in it!

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

me too! thanks for encouraging me to pick a word.

Rick Reynolds

I hope I'm not cheating but I have 3 words, Honor, Courage and Hope. I am love the movie, The Blind Side, and was impressed by Michael Oher's essay on The Charge of the Light Brigade. It was difficult to come up with these words but I expect I will be challenged everyday by them. Thanks for sharing your word and don't wait until the end of the year to share how it's going.

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

i will do my best to keep you guys posted. there are several hard conversations i need to have. when appropriate i will share

http://theperkinsblog.net MichaelDPerkins

What a great word. I too can relate to wanting people to like me. At times it's been crippling. I fought the urge for the whole "One Word" thing, but then I started reading Don Millers' A Million Miles about a week ago. I broke down. I knew that my word was story. My life is good, but it hasn't been great. There are so many things that I can do to improve my story and improve my character if I just take the chance. So, yeah…there it is.
My recent post Unfunked

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

that is a GREAT word.

http://dougmullin.net/thejusticejourney/ hankyoul

good job on the new about!!

my word for the is "photography." in the vein of developing my skills as a photographer, I am doing a Photo 365 project. you can see my start at http://dougmullin.net/photo365/

i'll certainly be keeping you in my prayers as you venture on your year of "honesty." blessing on you!! and I look forward to see what God brings to us in the year of 2011.

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

very cool. thanks for the prayers.

http://coachherbie.wordpress.com Simon

Lindsey, great word for the year and great points. I don't think you are alone in often trying to not rock the boat – what you have written here I could so easily have written about myself.

My word for the year is 'Intentional'. Too often in 2010, I went with the flow or let life take over. Everything I do this year I want to do with God and with purpose!
My recent post Biggest Accomplishment of 2010

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

wow…being intentional about being intentional is so cool!

Nicole Unice

I get this, I think, Lindsey. I struggle too with honesty–wondering how honest people really want me to be as a leader, a mother, a friend–so I think it's a great word. My word is Joy–I struggled to pick it, i wanted a cooler word (hello, I want people to like me and think I'm clever! and funny!) but joy was the word I needed. Looking forward to hearing more in the coming months!
My recent post Thoughts from 30 hours of Me-Time

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

i love joy!

Pingback: word of the year. « beauty for ashes
http://www.flybluekite.com Laura Click

A lovely choice in words to guide your year, Lindsey! Here's to making your 2011 the best year yet!

Oh, and your new about page? It rocks. Your friend did an excellent job.
My recent post 5 Simple Steps to Creating a Sticky 2011 Marketing Plan

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

didn't she? i love it!

http://bananacopenhagen.blogspot.com/ Jennie

My word is “Challenge”.
I want to do things that challenge me, get me out of my comfort zone and help me grow into the person I want to be.

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

very cool!

http://tommartinatl.com/ tommartinatl

Like Cheryl Smith, I too took the Chris Brogan approach with 3 focus words for 2011.

Listen…..intentionally to make sure I hear what is really being said
Pause….often to make sure I'm on track with what God's will….not Tom's will
Invest….in something or someone other than myself, my family, or my church (those come easily)

Invest is a continuation from 2010, but something that both challenges and stretches me to step outside my comfort zone. As I was in the midst of my second bout with cancer treatments and surgeries, I chose to focus on and invest in what could be done for Charity Water, which became a game changer for me!
My recent post Best of 2010
Cindy Graves

I wrote my post last night to be published this morning. My word is DO – similar to your word from last year of ACTION. My motto for the year is JUST DO IT…

A runner who never leaves the starting line gets no closer to the finish line. A rocket that never leaves the launch pad never hits their target. Imma get off my bum and DO SOMETHING this year instead of just thinking about it or planning it!
Pingback: Tweets that mention One Word | Lindsey Nobles -- Topsy.com
Andrea

My one word is present. I want to live in the present – no more dwelling on the past and no more worrying about the future, just enjoy today. I also want to concentrate on the presents/gifts that I have in my life – quit fixating on what I’ve lost or what others have that I don‘t have, just be thankful for what I’ve been blessed with and how truly lucky I am.
http://scarletcordm.com kamrie

my one word is listen. 2010 was a year where I really got to tell my story to tons of people. I love talking about what God is doing in my life, but 2011 needs to be a year where I listen to God's voice through others story. I have to learn how to be silent and merely listen even if I think I don't hear anything.
My recent post Listen
http://girlstogrow.blogspot.com/ Tracey

Mine is "focus." I really want to focus in four areas of my life: spiritual growth, healthy living, stewardship and personal development.

I understand where you're coming from with honesty and look forward to hearing about how you implement it this year!
My recent post Look Out
http://twitter.com/mahez007 @mahez007

I will say " self discipline". I need to correct myself a lot first.

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

ooh. nice!

http://learningfromsophie.com laura anne

I love your choice of word. I too struggle with the people pleasing thing – but usually only in the context of institutionalised church!

I’ve picked ‘better’ as my word.

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

i struggle with it in all contexts!

http://www.jcwert.com JasonWert

That's an amazing word for the year. Being honest I'll have to admit I cringed when I saw it because I knew that meant you're going to have some tricky situations popping up this year!
My recent post Day 2- What exactly am I doing here- God

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

me too! I stayed up late last night thinking about what it meant, really meant.

Chrystie

Last year, I picked joy. It was kind of cool to look back over the year, knowing that was the word I picked at the beginning and seeing how God had manifested that joy in my life, but in a way far different from what I imagined. This year, I knew without doubt what my word would be. But, it's really two words because I don't want one without the other – "bold humility" I am so hopeful and prayerful about how God works that out in me this year.
My recent post Bold Humility- My Prayer For 2011

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

And at the end of the year you can share how good you were at being humble? Bold humility is a great one. I always think it is interesting how confidence and humility go hand and hand. They need to be balanced delicately to make sure that we don't fall to pride or insecurity.

allisonroberts

I love your word. You are not alone. My word is FOCUS. Mainly focus on being present in the moment and not trying to figure out what the heck happened in the past or trying to figure out my future. Anxious to see how your word plays out this year.
http://kevinmartineau.blogspot.com Kevin_Martineau

My one word for 2011 is "anticipation." I want to live this year anticipating how God is going to be working in and through me.
My recent post Reflections on 2010
Chi Chi Okwu

I just started reading your blog and it has become a staple for me. I identify so much with your writing and find myself nodding my head in agreement while reading. Thank you for sharing your heart….but back to the question. My word would be "fearless". In 2011, I want to not worry so much about the opinions of others, I want to be confident in the things I know, not to be afraid to speak up when I don't know but I don't want to be stagnant in my life because of fear.

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

Thank you for reading. It is just nice to know that there are folks out there who understand my feelings.

http://daughtersheart.wordpress.com Amy

My word is "Learn". I'm starting classes for my Master's degree in a couple of weeks, so it was an obvious choice. However, I'm also asking that God would help me learn more about Him and His Word. The last couple of years, I've felt stuck on a plateu of knowledge. Nothing I read in the Bible really surprised me and it all seemed so familiar. I want that to change. So here's to my year of learning!
My recent post We will remember
Mary Hess

Love your word for 2011!
Can't wait to see how it unfolds for you this year.
http://twitter.com/eleroo34 @eleroo34

Love your choice and reasoning.

My word this year is growing. This year I am focusing on growing not only my faith but also in a few other areas of my life. Growth is hard and sometimes awkward but it is needed for us to keep moving forward in life.
http://www.prudychick.com Prudence

For me personally I think I live a dishonest life without realizing it. What a great word to define yourself by. It touches so many areas of life.

My word is Grace.

My recent post One Word 2011- Grace
Shay

What a wonderful idea! Kind of ironic that your honesty about life is what makes me read your blog every once in awhile!
http://www.cautiouscreative.com katie

honesty…i like it! my word for the year is surrender because at the end of the day i realized that everything for me…all of the other words that were possibilities had a failure to surrender at their foundation. and so, why not tackle them all at once by tackling surrender, right?
jay @ bethegospel

i think i might use the word "new"

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

And your song can be Beautiful Things by Gungor. I always think of that song when I hear the word new now.

Pingback: One Word 2011 | Blessed Blog
http://kennysilva.net Kenny Silva

That's awesome, Lindsey. I have the same issue sometimes; not wanting to rock the boat as much as I probably should. I'm excited to read about your experience with honesty this year!

PS. My word for this year is wisdom.
My recent post One Word 2011- WISDOM

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

Very wise choice

philologus

and i am so looking forward to that:)
Julia Kate
My recent post One Word 2011…
http://twitter.com/KarenJordan @KarenJordan

I chose FOCUS for my One Word for 2011. And I'm going to begin by "focusing" on Philippians 4:8-9. Thanks, @LindseyNobles!

http://www.lindseynobles.com Lindsey_Nobles

Love it, Karen!

Pingback: One Word | Bill Cahusac
http://relevantbrokenness.com Marni

Great focus!

My word is "Connect." I already posted about it here http://wp.me/p1g0wP-6k
Anne

I've been thinking about this, and everything I came up with seemed too contrived. Today, as I was running my trail that I've run for years, I stopped where I always stop. I stopped at the top of the stairs at the end of Belle Meade Blvd. All this time I have always soaked up how pretty this spot is and thought about what a great place it is to take photographs. Today, I stood there a little bit longer and noticed that you can see downtown from that spot. (I know it's not nearly as impressive as seeing Russia, but it will have to do.) FOR THE FIRST TIME. All this time. All those stops. I stood there and said as myself, if I had only just looked up. So I'm not picking one word. I'm picking three. I'm picking one phrase. For some reason it was just what I needed today. There are several things in my life that I have a death grip on and need to let go of. So now, instead of white knuckling through these issues, I am going to try and loosen my grip and just look up. Wish me luck.
moweezle

ohhhh… love your choice!
My recent post One Word- Shine
shark_bait

Honesty. A depectively hard one methinks. As you say, it's not a matter of dishonesty, but rather trying to be completely honest and ourself.

Good luck
My recent post Musical FISH
Pingback: Obedience | JackHeimbigner
Pingback: Confessions of a People Pleaser | Lindsey Nobles
Pingback: Confession: I’m an ADDICT | The Overwhelmed Woman
Pingback: The Most Important Place for Honesty, Sheila Walsh | Lindsey Nobles

One Word

Life Through My Lens

Blogs You Should Check Out

My Traveling Buddies

Categories

One Word

Life Through My Lens

Blogs You Should Check Out

My Traveling Buddies

Categories

In A Word