Ladies and gentlemen, I have selected a word of the year! It’s kind of like Pantone’s Color of the Year but with zero fanfare and more practical application in my own life. (Not that I don’t love Ultra-Violet or 2017’s Greenery). I actually wrote down a single word and committed to it as a part of being more intentional, like I promised I would be in my last post. And not only did I settle on a word for the whole livelong year; but I also chose a word for this month.

I actually love the idea of a monthly word even more than a yearly one. A year is so vast and overwhelming and forever long. Will I live up to that word all.year.long? I don’t know! Maybe not. I mean, I won’t even have a good sense of how I’m doing until at least July. I need baby steps.

And a Word of the Month is that perfect baby step. It feels immediate, manageable and actually doable. I like it so much, I’ve committed to select one for each month.

My word for the year is…

I brainstormed for awhile to get to this word. It feels distilled, foundational, essential. And it’s just a reminder that I need to have belief in myself, in God, and in my business. It’s the foundation on which I’m building my goals for this year. I can’t achieve any of them without belief in myself and God and in my ability to not only run my business but actually grow it and lead it. The more I work, the more I realize belief is essential. It’s all wrapped up in that pesky personal development side of being your own boss.

Really, I’m just so proud of myself for going through this process and being decisive. I picked the word. Wrote it down. And instantly felt like a #momboss headed in the right direction. Baby stepping it all.the.way.

So for this month of new beginnings, it was obvious what my word should be. It’s Step One (and a crucial part of every step) of pursuing my goals:

As you can see, I picked an easy one.

But this is where it all starts for me. A huge part of that Hot Mess Mom lurking inside of me is minute-by-minute struggles to control impulses, to commit, to restrain, to pause before acting. She doesn’t ask herself, “Are you even craving that sugar?” before shoving a cookie in her mouth or “Should you really make that third joke in a row during this serious conversation?” before pointing something that’s truly hilarious.

And believe it or not, the Hot Mess Mom part of me is a thousand times more self-controlled than the Hot Mess New Wife of 2004-2010 or any earlier version thereof. So I know I can change and grow in this area. It’s a fruit of the spirit, so there has to be hope, right?

To remind myself of this hope, I busted out my new letter board and declared this truth. The little gossip bench this sits on is at the bottom of the stairs, so I see it over and over as I go about my day and every time I walk into my office.

So how has this month o’ self-control gone? I survived a 3-day fast (that will be another post), was disciplined enough to finish my weekly women’s Bible study material a full 3 days early, and have had quite a few wins and many more losses in the food department. But I’ll take it! Because baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.

(Also, because I couldn’t imagine writing this post without What About Bob?)