I’ve always hated New Year’s Resolutions–mainly because I rarely ever follow through with them. So when I heard of this website myoneword on a Seekerville blog post, I knew I had stumbled upon something that I could wrap my brain around.

Here’s what My One Word says about itself:

Every New Year we hope this will finally be the year that things will change. We make promises about the new person we’re going to become, pledging to get a grip on our finances, get in shape, become a better parent, spouse, even a nicer human being! But there’s one problem: our resolutions seldom work. The busy pace of life gets the better of us, and suddenly, the year is over with little to no personal growth having occurred in our lives.

“My One Word” is an experiment designed to move you beyond the past and look ahead. The challenge is simple: lose the long list of changes you want to make this year and instead pick ONE WORD. This process provides clarity by taking all of your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single thing. One word focuses on your character and creates a vision for your future. So, we invite you to join us and pick one word in 2011.

Brilliant! One word to be the lens through which I view myself, my goals, my life. How simple. Is it too simple? I don’t know, but I aim to give it a try.

The word that I’ve been chewing on and praying about is:

Definition: having, compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling
Synonyms: excitable, emotional, impulsive, zealous. ardent,impassioned, excited, fervent, warm, enthusiastic, earnest,glowing, burning, fiery; animated

I feel like I have been living in a bubble for the past few years. A bubble that has been impenetrable and inescapable. I have gone through the motions of life, numb and unresponsive. And I don’t want to live that way anymore.

I’ve become lax in all areas of my life, not really caring about excellence in anything, and I want to change that.  In everything I do, I want to passionately do my best, working as if for the Lord.

I want to be passionate about life. I want to be passionate for the little things. Passionate for God and His Word, delving deep and feeling His presence with me daily. Passionate for my family, spending time with them and keeping a clean home for their comfort. Passionate for my work, even though it is not my favorite thing, and be a good and conscientious worker. Passionate for my health, taking care of it by eating right and moving more. Passionate for writing, doing it for pleasure and not to prove something. Passionate for people, choosing to initiate relationships, developing close, spiritual ties.

My verse for 2011:
Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
Colossians 3:17 (The Message)

Cheers to a New Year full of passion and love!