Power of the “One Word” Philosophy

One of the more difficult tasks for kids and adults these days is focusing. There is too much stimulus and the internet and all its players have found ways to attract us to distraction. Notice how the mobile phone in everyone’s hand looks like an attachment they can’t put down.

The cell phone addiction is just the beginning. Workers complain they are on overload because they have too many emails, too many meetings, and too much on their plate. Overwhelm is a form of anxiety that revs our brain waves above the normal level of doing things comfortably.

How Do We Develop Better Focus?

It seems we are torn between looking for relief and looking for better opportunities. Also distracting is the never-ending news cycle of events in the economy, the stock market, politics, the war, global warming, sports, and the weather. Headlines are all charged with emotional statements like the NFL has gone crazy over Bill Billicheks statement today.

I have had a one-word philosophy most of my life that guides my activities. That word is self-actualization. It means for me that I am always trying to be better in all phases of my life both work and personally. It includes health, learning, creating, and contribution which are each areas of engagement and improvement.

After reading the book “One Word” by Jon Gordon I have selected a second one-word. This philosophy has been used by thousands including sports teams, schools, publicly traded businesses, and individuals. The one-word is selected for the year. The book was written ten years ago, so people have been following this practice repeatedly.

My new word is “surrender”. It is not just the religious concept of surrendering to God, it is the surrendering to the inevitability of upcoming events or current situations. For me it is letting go of anger. The rainy weather has impaired my surf lesson business this year. It doesn’t pay for me to hate the weather for it is an uncontrollable phenomenon in our lives and we need the water.

I fear the recession because it causes hardship. Nonetheless, it is out of my control and I have to make the best of what comes. I hate when I am stuck in traffic because of some cause up ahead, but I have to surrender to something I can’t control. It has a calming effect on my nervous system to have my word that I can repeat whenever I feel the fear or anger with my situation. I tell myself “surrender”.

Others pick words that will guide their daily actions. Some have picked the word “drive”. This seems to be popular with sports teams. Others have picked words like “thankful”, “optimistic”, “love”, “balance”, and “purpose”. How about selecting the word “focus”. The word is what someone feels they need in their life most. Kids in families are picking their own words and it seems to work well for them as well. Teams have said that everyone having a word has worked well for overall achievement.

The word is like a “mantra” that you can say over and over to create calm in your world. It is a focus that cuts through the bombardment of information and stimulus we receive every moment. Does your phone give you a sound each time an email or text arrives? That alone keeps you adrenalized like a cup of coffee.

To accomplish more in a day, we need time blocks of focus on important activities that move us forward with our goals. At the end of each day, I like to say “that was a good day”. I summarize knowing I had several activities important to my progress in which I engaged with good focus. My time blocks for important activities support my progress toward worthwhile goals in my self-actualization.

Take a moment to consider what areas of your life are stressed, cause you pain, or offer opportunities for your progress. Select a word that highlights the thoughts or action you need to make progress in that one area. Having the word in your thoughts will give you focus on the areas you want to improve.

There is a tool called “key habit” in which one habit changes everything. It has been studied that when you give students something important to focus on, it starts changing everything else in their life. They start adapting healthy habits that were not part of their focus. This is what seems to happen to all the groups that have adopted the “One-Word” philosophy.

Pick your word and give it try for a few days. You may never go back.

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As a Thriving Worker Consultant, I can engage in conversations with employers on how to begin the process of helping workers thrive and reach peak performance. It begins with a conversation to see how far an organization is willing to go to change the culture for workers.

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