“As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.” – Patrick Rothfuss, The Name Of The Wind
In August last year, I wrote a post about words. More specifically, it was about the word, at that time, which described you and your business philosophy; the word that summed up what drives you, your way of thinking, your way of doing and being.
You may be fairly unsurprised to learn that mine was change-maker. And I think that I have been walking the talk fairly consistently since that blog went up – as have so many of the amazing women I am privileged and proud to know. But as we come to the end of 2013, I’d like all of you, as I am, to think about 2014 and what is to come with the new year; and for that matter, to have a look back at the year that has been. If you could choose a word to sum up the last 365 days, what would it be? More importantly –
How will you word up in 2014?
I definitely have used my word for 2013 in many of the ways I wished to. For 2014, I have identified the direction I want to be heading, and yes, there is a word which sums that direction up. It is the link between my goals and aspirations, the way in which I wish to be perceived, with how I intend to achieve said goals.
You may say ‘a single word can’t achieve goals for you’. And you would be correct in many ways. It is just a word, after all. Without planning, and effort, and pure hard slog, nothing will happen. But what that word does is give me a focus. It puts in front of me a tangible; because words do have power. They tell everybody else a little bit about you. They say ‘this is X. They see themselves this way – and yes, their actions match the word, so take them seriously’.
Independence. Profitability. Freedom. These are all words that may apply to where you want to be in 2014. Your word may simply be ‘happy’ – and it is up to you to work out what that ‘happy’ actually is. It may be that your version of happiness is completely different to what everyone else thinks it should be – and that could be where your journey lies.
Don’t be frightened to make your word a strong one. You are strong, otherwise you wouldn’t be thinking about this in the first place. You are women of worth. You are changing the game on a daily basis. You are not satisfied with the status quo; you want to be the best, and to help others to achieve what is best for them.
So word up. Find your own jumble of what will be meaningless letters to anyone else – but to you, may be the difference between ‘I might have been’ and ‘I will be’ in 2014.
As your mother may have said…
Use your words!
PS: If you were wondering… mine is GROWTH. Onwards and upwards!
