The Year of Singular Intent

It takes two soup pots full of snow melt to flush our toilet.

How do I know? This week hasn't gone as planned. Ice and snow storms left us intermittently without power, water, and internet. I couldn't even connect to email using my cell phone. Writing this article was a leap of faith that Internet access would once again be mine.

January is traditionally a time for confirming annual goals and launching plans. I'm noticing some resistance.

Collaborative teams still need goals and plans, of course. Without something you're trying to achieve and a timeframe for achieving it, there's no reason to form a team.

Many individuals, though, are opting out of declaring their personal goals. Instead, they're stripping down their future hopes to their unadorned essence.

Find just one word that embodies your intention for the year 

This is not a new practice, but it seems to be growing in popularity. I can see why.

Over the past four years (and for me this week in particular), world events kept body-checking our plans into the boards. There have been many goals in sight, but I'm having a helluva time hitting the net. I know I'm not alone in this.

If you had to guess, what percentage of your 2020 to 2023 goals did you make? I think my basketball shot average is higher than my goal completion rate, and since my on-court nickname was "The Brick," that's not good.

This constant need to adapt and replan makes me reluctant to commit to measurable goals and deadlines for myself. To do so would assume stability in our global systems. Mighty hubristic.

Directionality and intent, though? That I can do.

Directionally, I want to head towards our ambitions for this project and the realization of many aspirations. I may find my path blocked, so I reserve and relish the right to change direction. Learn, pivot, adapt, and spin - it's everyone's favorite new dance move!

Intent? I’m considering this trend of adopting a "word of the year" - kind of like a private Zodiac re-interpretation of the North Star principle. A one-word intent conveys the spirit with which you'll approach the year, stating how you intend to be or the underlying value you'll focus on during your year's journey.

Here are just a few examples that folks have shared publicly in the past month.

What might your one word be? And is it cheating if I pick two? (Or three?)

For me right now, the word calling to me is Capability.

Preparing for next week's gathering in the absence of power, water, internet, or school for the kids has made me keenly aware of my capabilities. I'm especially keen on developing more of them.

Developing a prototype of my Professional Portfolio/API of Me is also revelatory.

Intellectually, we know that we learn from our experiences and that they shape who we become. But when we think about our experiences in that way, it positions them as things we did or that happened to us.

That's not the same as owning those experiences, and recognizing the capability you now claim through that experience. This is a stunning difference that's hard to explain, and I'm looking forward to discussing it with all of you who expressed interest in collaborating on this project.

Today, the need to recognize and build capability is up in my face. Capability enables adaptability, agency, and resilience, all of which sound delicious right now.

I'm clearly snow-blinded with recency bias because if you asked me at any other time, my word would have been Joy. Or Love. Or possibly, Curiosity. Maybe I can use them all? If so, 2024 will rock!

What about you?

Is there one word that resonates with your vision for this year? One beautiful idea you'll use as a compass magnet, pulling those qualities to you and pointing the way when you feel lost?

What might it be?

In our final session at next week's gathering, we'll play with this idea of a one-word intent. I'm not sure if I'll have THE word for me, but that won't matter. The session is a game and an experiment to see how we might put one great word to use.

Looking forward to seeing you there! In the interim, wishing you warmth, strong connections, and the joys of indoor plumbing. 😀 🤎 🚽 

Elise

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