My One Word & Vision Board for 2016

Every year, instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I choose One Word I want to embody my year. My friend Alece introduced me to the concept back in 2009 but I didn’t fully embrace it until 2011. That year COURAGE was my word and it was the first and only time (so far) that I felt the urge to get a tattoo. Every year since then I have picked and done my best to live into my OneWord for the year.

I say I choose a word but the truth is the word chooses me. Over the years I have discovered that a word actually presents itself, almost as a nudge from the Divine, inviting me to embrace it for the year and it’s up to me to say yes to it.

This year, I thought I knew what my word would be at the end of September. That’s really early for me as my word doesn’t usually start showing up until around mid-November but I felt strongly connected to this word and I was sure it would be the one.

Still because it was so early I knew enough to sit with it rather than declare it to be my OneWord. Soon after I picked another word that was a variation on the first but in the end it still wasn’t the word.

Then, like clockwork, my One Word started presenting itself just before Thanksgiving and it was on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving when I KNEW that my word for 2016 would be SURRENDER.

At first I did not like it. SURRENDER felt too hard, too much like it would ask more of me than I would be willing to give, more of me than I COULD give. But the more I sat with it, the more I saw the potential and the invitation hiding in it. I surrendered to my One Word and embraced SURRENDER as the word to guide me in 2016.

Accepting my One Word is the first part of my end of year rituals; part two is creating my Vision Board. While I approach creating my Vision Board with goals in mind for the New Year, I always let my intuition guide me and, as a result, I am always surprised by at least one area of my board.

This year, my entire board surprises and delights me. I have some big goals for my business this year and I intended to dedicate a section of my board to some of those goals but try as I might, it did not feel right to include any of that on there. I soon realized that I would be creating a separate board for my business because trying to force it to fit on this board wasn’t working.

While SURRENDER is my word, my board has revealed to me that the overarching theme for 2016 is about me Coming Home…to myself. It’s me coming home to my truth, my story, and embracing all of it including the parts I’m afraid to have others see. But it’s time for me to be seen, to be REALLY seen and that will require bravery, boldness and SURRENDER.

It’s surrendering the beliefs that no longer serve me. Breaking free from the safety of old stories and old identities that no longer speak the truth of who I am becoming. It’s saying goodbye to (and surrendering) what was to make room and space for what needs to be.

When I look at my board, I get excited about living into my One Word. I’m eager to see what I will release and let go of in 2016 and where that journey will take me. But as the images on the bottom of my board suggests, I’ve got places to go, people to see, influence that needs leveraging and looking back isn’t an option!

Now I would like to hear from you. Do you pick a word for the year? If so, what’s your word for 2016? Tell me in the comments below or head over to Facebook and share with me there.

If you want to create your own vision board, you can download my free Vision Board Guidebook, which walk you step-by-step through everything you need to create one.

Here’s to 2016 being your best year yet.

From my heart to yours,

If you’re in the Charlotte area, I’m hosting a live Vision Board workshop in January. I’m still working out the details but if you’re interested in doing one live with me, click here to get on the list and be notified once everything is finalized. I would love to have you with me.