Last week in this newsletter, I made the point that it takes grit to maintain a New Year's resolution. Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page – the authors of One Word that Will Change Your Life – argue for an entirely different approach to self-improvement. Here are a few excerpts from the book that summarizes their approach.
We set to-do goals instead of to-be goals. Success is measured by what we accomplish instead of who we become. Making resolutions convinces us that all we have to do is roll up our sleeves again and get to work. The practice encourages us to put the power of life change in our heads and hands with a game plan to change our habits and then turns us loose. This approach ignores the most important part of life change: the heart....
Instead of creating goals and resolutions, we found a single word that would be our driving force for the year. No goals. No resolutions. Just One Word! We simply developed a One Word theme for the year. It became a One Word vision for everything, and it changed our lives....
Our formula is not rooted in our strength and resolve but in surrender and simplicity. It is not based on temporary inspiration or on the latest pep talk. It’s found in narrowing our focus, because we believe less is best. For us, simplicity created clarity, power, and passion....
For us, this One Word process has created laserlike focus throughout the year. It has become a driving force and stretches us in all six dimensions of life: spiritual, physical, mental, relational, emotional, and financial. We’ve been transformed in many ways through this process, and we promise you’ll experience transformation, too.
Gordon, Jon. One Word That Will Change Your Life, Expanded Edition (pp. 4-6). Wiley. Kindle Edition.
The authors have put into practice their belief that simple is best and powerful by designing their book to be read in 49 minutes. I'm adding it to our IndyGrit.Community recommended reading list. And I've chosen grit as my one word for 2020.
Whatever path you take for personal growth, I guarantee it will take grit - the convergence of passion and perseverance around a meaningful long-term goal - to follow through on your commitments to yourself.