One word (OK, two words) for 2015

Anyone who knows me knows I don’t tend to like doing things just because everyone else is doing it. In fact, that’s pretty darn good way of getting me to not participate.

An exception would definitely be the One Word movement. The idea of One Word is choosing a word that is something you focus on for the year. People interpret their process in their own way, but most have some way of processing their One Word be it in an art project, blog or some other form of personal expression. 

I chose a One Word in 2013 and it was Enough. I was kind of silly in 2014 and felt like since I hadn’t finished writing all my blogs about enough, I didn’t “deserve” to have a new word. I had to finish the word I had, darn it!

I’m realizing that I will always be looking at the idea of being enough. I needed that first year to really explore it but now it’s in “maintenance mode” of sorts.

This year, I kept having two ideas swimming around in my head that I knew I wanted to focus on and explore. So how to choose? I realized that one of the words was more about my personal life, specifically how I live as a person of faith. The second word was more about how I run my business. Yet, both are intertwined.

I chose Mercy as my life One Word and Priorities as my business One Word. I don’t plan on doing a monthly blog post on either of these words. Instead, they will be an anthem of sorts. I will process them each in their own ways and I have yet to decide how that will be shared.

For now, let me introduce my two One Words and what they mean to me:

I’ve been fascinated by the idea of mercy for at least a year. It stems from Micah 6:8 which reads:

He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (American King James)

What does mercy mean? What does it not mean? What does that mean for me? These are all questions I’m going to be talking to God about (and already have been talking to him about). I figure I’ll be sharing thots on it throughout the year. When I do, I will use the above picture (by the way, I took that sunset shot. Isn’t it fabulous?).

Earlier I wrote about my goals for 2015 and my game plan for accomplishing those goals. A big part of that is focusing on my priorities in a long-term sense, not in the short-term.

For example, I know I want to become fully self-sustaining  in my self-employment income, at least as much as possible. I can’t do that if I focus on meeting my monthly income goal. I have to focus on long-term, residual income to some degree.

I also need to remember to focus on my goals as an entrepreneur and a person. What do I want Jamie’s Notebook to look like? Why do I do it as opposed to any other work? What do I find fulfilling and profitable?

I do have a list of priorities and how I choose what work I do but that’s the kind of thing a business owner should keep close to the vest, so to speak. I will say that I doubt I will be doing much blogging about priorities. I hope it will just become more evident in my work!

What is your One Word for this year? Share in the comments (including a link if you’re written about it)!