2019 Wrap Up - One Word Challenge

Happy New Year, Friends!

I can't believe it, but it's true - today is January 1, 2020. Where did 2019 go? Where ever it went, it seemed to be in a damned hurry!

We enjoyed a very chill night at home with friends and family, some pizza and snacks, a game of dominoes and a whole lot of snark (is anyone surprised?). A wonderful way to ring in the new year, I'd say!

Also, it feels good to wrap up a project and I'm excited to put together a project in the shop that will help me remember my 2019 One Work Challenge (I'll get to that a little later...).

As you all know, each month I chose a word that represented where I was that month in my life and business. It had to be a single word, a verb, and the word often took on multiple meanings and purposes.  At first, I thought it would be easy, that coming up with a monthly word to represent all that was happening (or needed to happen) would be a breeze.

Uh, think again Jen.

How do you describe the fear of quitting your full time job, while simultaneously looking forward to the opportunity to work with new folks, in new cities, doing new things? How do you juggle family, friends and a new travel schedule with your love for working with clients in the fitness industry? How do you describe with one word your renewed focus on self care, health and wellness?

Uh...

Exactly. And even though I didn't post a blog entry weekly, I did use my One Word each month in hash tags and posts on my other social media handles, and truly worked that word into my daily moving meditation (read: walks with the pups). I tried to use each word to guide my responses to situations I encountered and help me focus my efforts when I got distracted.

I also made some physical projects to really drive home a few of the words - nail/string art, vision boards, and even homemade t-shirts. I have a really fun project planned for the end, but will need a little help from the hubster and the CNC!

2019 One Word Challenge Words:
Leap, Engage, March, Bloom, Tend, Spark, Focus, Appreciate, Designate, Grind, Celebrate and Believe.

Looking back, all these words have one thing in common: PURPOSE.

Acting with purpose, whether it's to LEAP or to FOCUS, CELEBRATE or BELIEVE, they all point back to living and working with PURPOSE.

Purpose doesn't mean that everything went according to plan, or that I have it all figured out. It means that whatever I was doing, it wasn't by accident. Even if something happened accidentally, my reaction to it was more purposeful this year - less of a knee jerk or panic, and more of a "ok, so now what's the next step?" reaction. Thinking long term and weighing the impact of my decisions was my priority. And, I think it's made all the difference. I'm feeling more grounded, have noticeable less stress, and I feel strong relationships forming in my life.

If I had to choose a word to represent the whole year, looking back, it would be purpose. (I feel a little like Steve Martin in The Jerk, wondering what my 'special purpose' was! HA!)

So, here's a fun way to wrap 2019's words:

I'm going to have it carved into a wood plaque with the company logo and hang it in the office. That way I can always look back and remember some of the excitement, nerves, and hope that helped to shape my purpose in 2019. I've got a long way to go, but boys and girls - I'm on my way!

2020's Blogging Challenge will be similar, but with a little twist:  "I Am ....."

What am I? Well, you'll just have to stay tuned to see! Also watch for my YouTube Challenge in January: 31 Days of The Daily Minute. Each day I'll share a topic or reminder and I promise to keep the topic to about a minute! January 1's is already up! Check out my channel and don't forget to "like" and subscribe! There will be much more coming! 

I hope that all of you had a wonderful 2019, but are looking ahead at 2020 with a renewed sense of passion and purpose! 

I look forward to sharing a heap more with y'all this year - let's get after it!

Ciao for now!

<3 Jen