What are you going to focus on this year to sharpen your leadership and increase your influence? Did you take time to reflect at the end of the year to think about how you could improve as a leader? If you have not taken the time to do so, it is not too late. Continuous improvement should always be at the forefront of a leader’s mind, and what better time to think about improving than at the beginning of a new year? The new year has already begun, and for some people, New Year's resolutions have already been made. Have you asked yourself why people make New Year's resolutions? If you were to ask me this question, my answer would be that people know they are not or have not been the best version of themselves—they know they need to improve. So pressing reset at the beginning of a new year to make a resolution makes sense. Or does it? According to the Drive Research Team, in their report titled New Year's Resolutions Statistics and Trends (November 18, 2024), "92% of adults will not follow through on a resolution." This is an alarming number. So, maybe, just maybe, starting a new year should not be about creating a resolution to develop new goals, but rather becoming the person you are supposed to be to help you accomplish the goals you have already set for yourself.
Therefore, I propose something different than setting a resolution. I propose picking a word of the year. I have been picking a word of the year for the past seven or eight years. Picking a word of the year has impacted me a lot more than a New Year's resolution. Having a word of the year has helped me focus on being and becoming the person that lives and leads the way my word of the year suggests. Throughout the year, the word has increased my focus and served as a constant reminder to grow and develop habits that would help me become and reflect the word through my actions, attitude, and thoughts.
The words I have chosen all correlated with my values or something I value. You should not select a word just because it sounds good. Rather, reflect on where you are now and where you want to be; think about the people you are leading and the type of leader they need you to be; and then choose a word that will push you to become the leader you are supposed to be for the people you serve. Being true to yourself, knowing who you are as a leader, who you are supposed to be as a leader, and what you have been called to do as a leader are key factors when picking your word of the year. As you grow and become what the word represents, the people most connected to you will be impacted by your growth.
The word I chose for this year is excellence. I love how Ryan Leak described excellence. He said, "Excellence is a habit." And, paraphrasing another comment of his, Excellence is the product of consistency and intentionality. Wow, this is not just a feel-good word. To demonstrate excellence, I have to commit to being consistent and intentional. This is something that will take time and effort. Consistency does not happen overnight. The word in itself communicates something that happens over time. Intentionality will be displayed through planning and paying attention to detail. So, in my word of the year, I have three areas of focus: 1) Being Consistent; 2) Planning; and 3) Paying Attention to Detail.
