BOLD | Word of the Year 2016
If you read nothing else, read this. I double, dog dare you to be intentional in your life this year.
2016 was my 6th year of taking that statement to heart. I’ve done this through the Word of the Year project. Every year is different, but as I look back I see how important each word has been for my life – both in that year and beyond. His a quick history:
2011 – FREEDOM
2012 – RISK
2013 – TRANSFORM
2014 – VISION
2015 – ATTACK
2016 – BOLD
I wish I had more space, and more time, so you could hear my whole story. I don’t so, I’ll tell you this.
There’s no magic, fairy dust that makes Word of the Year work. It’s not about choosing the right word. It’s not about saying the right prayer. It’s not about knowing the right creative outlets.
It works because it’s about being intentional.
That is the most important lesson I learned in 2011. Intentionality is the key to freedom. More than that, it’s a key to success in any area of life.
In 2016, I was intentional about being BOLD. Specifically, BOLD dreams, goals and prayers.
3 Truths about BOLD
1. Bigger & Beyond
One of the most important things I read about BOLD was in the book Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World by Peter H Diamandis and Steven Kotler. The authors referenced the Google innovation lab which purposely sets unbelievably high and lofty goals.
Why?
They’ve found it’s human nature to always undershoot a goal. The average is to produce 10-30% of whatever the stated goal is. This being the case, a larger goal, creates a larger final result. This was true for me.
I started with the goal of selling 300 shirts in 2016. I then challenged myself to 1000. Crazy big for someone printing every single shirt by hand!
I didn’t meet my goal. I was way short. I sold about 250 shirts. However, I strongly believe had I left my goal at 300, I would have sold 100 or less.
BOLD is all about bigger and beyond. Bigger than me, but also beyond me. I learned that beyond means someone or something beyond me. Going back to the t-shirts. When I developed a purpose beyond me, I had purpose to do bigger.
The beyond was teaming with Escuela Viva to send children to school. This year I sent over $1000 to Escuela Viva – sending 3 (almost 4) children to school. That’s the changing the world.
Will you be BOLD in 2017? Will you do something bigger and beyond?
2. Specific and Strenuous
There is nothing BOLD about general and unspecific. My specific goals were to write a book, speak in 5 venues outside my home church and sell 1000 shirts. I met one of those goals (wrote a book), came close on another (spoke at 4 venues) and nearly met my original goal on the last (250 t-shirts).
You don’t have to read or listen to much about setting goals before you hear this truth. Specific matters.
The handcuff to this truth is hard, strenuous work. The more specific I am in my goals, the more work it means. Not easy work either…hard work.
What goal do you need to be specific about in 2017? Careful…it’s going to be hard work!
3. Fearful and Fun
1000 shirts, speak and write a book. I didn’t have clear plan to do any of these things. I had some ideas, but nothing concrete.
That’s scary. It was bigger and beyond. I was out of my comfort zone.
Here’s what I found…it was a lot of fun.
It caused me to connect and network with people from all around the States. I learned things about myself I never knew. I learned things about life, I never would have otherwise.
What step do you need to take out of your comfort zone? It’s going to be a super fun 2017 if you do!
Intentional
Sum all of that up, and you have intentional.
I’ll say it again. I double dog dare you to be intentional in 2017. Choose your Word of the Year.
Next week, I’ll share with you my Word for 2017. What’s your Word?
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