Learn. Lead. Sparkle.: Grateful. #oneword #saysomething 2019

Each year for about the past five years I have enjoyed thinking of one word to be my focus for the year. I think it started when I saw a tweet by Jon Gordon and had never really thought about January in that way-- I was used to making the typical list of resolutions that were largely forgotten in a few weeks, or months, and rarely was I successful. I know this because I can't remember any of them.

I love having one word to inspire me all year long, and if I think for a minute I know I could remember them all. I write about my word. I look for a piece of artwork to hang in my office to remind me. Sometimes I can find a shirt or a piece of jewelry with my word. I love having visible reminders to help me focus my mindset.

I even love the process of just thinking about all of the possible words, and which one fits. It usually takes a week or two. For 2019, I choose grateful. This word wraps up many things for me-- for several years I have been working hard on practicing gratitude, and trying to find little and big things to be thankful for each day. Every day there is something! And I am also grateful for hard things, trying to find the lesson to be learned through struggle that will make me a better person at the end of it.

I had been thinking about my word, still undecided, when I read a Facebook post by my friend Cassidy Butler about her experience with Rachel Hollis' #last90days challenge and I was so inspired! Her entire post is included below, but she kicked it off like this:

"Beginning October 1, I started Rachel Hollis’ 5 to Thrive challenge for the last 90 days of the year. While I didn’t do it perfectly, I stuck with it through the end of the year. This is the first time in my life where I rolled into January 1 with a consistent exercise routine and eating plan. It feels amazing to enter the new year with so much momentum.
This year I’m setting goals based on where I want to go in life, not based on regret for how I lived my life over the past year."

Rachel Hollis & Cassidy at St. Francis HS

I had been lucky to hear Rachel Hollis speak in October and loved her book "Girl, Wash Your Face." But I didn't know about the 5 to Thrive challenge. When Cassidy posted it, I loved it! And I started the next day.

Cassidy's post gave me a plan that seemed doable, but it also got me thinking about where motivation comes from, especially for me. Most often, I am moved to do, to act, by words.

They come from many places. Books. Blog posts. Tweets and Instagram posts. Even songs. I love it when people say something inspiring! Speaking of songs, one of Justin Timberlake's new songs is called Say Something! A coincidence? I think not. I love the words. You're welcome.

I am grateful for authors who #saysomething by telling their stories. I read these four books this year and I can't stop thinking about them. Themes that run through each in different ways:

Am I good enough?
We are here to lift each other up.
Being strong isn't easy. But do it anyway.

As much as I love books and music, I am most moved when people take time to #saysomething , to reach out with word of encouragement, checking in, saying hello. It might be a text or a vox, a note, a twitter message, or phone call. I am so grateful for friends and family and all of the little and big things you do and say each day that inspire me, make me think, and help me to grow and learn and be a better person. And I am grateful for the technology that connects me to people near and far - I had no idea how much power a sweet text or thoughful vox could have.

Cassidy's FB post below is just one example. It fired me up for the new year, and inspired this post! (And at the end of this post I've included a few other links that might inspire you, too!)

Beginning October 1, I started Rachel Hollis’ 5 to Thrive challenge for the last 90 days of the year. While I didn’t do it perfectly, I stuck with it through the end of the year.

This is the first time in my life where I rolled into January 1 with a consistent exercise routine and eating plan. It feels amazing to enter the new year with so much momentum.

This year I’m setting goals based on where I want to go in life, not based on regret for how I lived my life over the past year. 🎉

Here’s what I accomplished in the last 90 days of 2018:

1) I drank enough water to float a boat. When you’re drinking that much water, the thought of consuming other beverages on top of half your body weight in water is not desirable. Consequently I cut my caffeine, alcohol and soda intake substantially without even trying.

2) I exercised most days for at least thirty minutes riding my Peloton and joining Club Pilates in Natomas. Some days I exercised both morning and evening.

3) I wrote down 10 things to be grateful for EVERY SINGLE DAY. In the process I discovered what an amazing life I lead. At first you think 10 things to be grateful for is a ridiculous amount, but once you start looking for reasons to be grateful throughout your day, it’s actually a very small number.

4) I gave up sugar and half n’ half. It was brutal at first but once I learned about carbohydrates impact on blood sugar, it became much easier. Now if I eat too many carbs in one sitting, my brain becomes foggy, my body aches, and I can’t function.

5) I established a morning routine based on Hal Elrod’s book Miracle Morning. This was the last change I implemented and the one I resisted the most. Getting up an hour early to do something for myself seemed absurd. After all, I had a codependent relationship going with my snooze button, and I was good with that. Ironically, getting up with my alarm to take care of me and my goals has been the new habit that has had the greatest bang for the buck. I discovered that I love mediating for 10 minutes after I exercise. If I’m going to exercise my body, shouldn’t my brain get the same love as well.

None of these lifestyle changes happened over night. I think I was only implementing two or three of the habits in early October. But I kept at it and was able to integrate all 5 into my life. I’ll be keeping these habits going into the new year!

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Cheers to a fabulous 2019! ~Jennifer