In my previous post, I talk about why resolutions suck, and why I set a theme word for the year instead.
I promised to reveal my theme word for 2017, so here it is… (drumroll, please )
My theme word is: Impact.
This year, I want to make a great impact on those around me. I want to impact my children’s lives as I guide them along the bumps and challenges of life. I want to impact my friends and colleagues so they know what a difference they make in the world. I want to impact women’s hearts and souls as I help them rediscover themselves and fall in love with themselves again so they have the confidence to have their own impact on the world.
So I’m stepping out in a much 
bigger way in my personal and business life. Shifting priorities. Letting go of commitments that no longer serve me. Saying “No” to activities that don’t fuel my mission to have an impact.
Sometimes it’s hard to let go of things, especially when the “Should”-ers come along. You know who I’m talking about: those well-meaning people who say, “You should do this,” or “Why don’t you do that?” The people who, even with good intentions, tell you how you should live your life.
I recently stepped out of a commitment with my church because it didn’t align with my theme word for the year.
As soon as I did, a “Should”-er showed up, in the form on an innocent comment: “You should just stay for [this activity.] You’re already here.”
I politely declined. I’d already been there for 12 hours (I’m still involved in plenty of activities, obviously), and I was exhausted.
I can’t show up in the world and have an impact in the more important areas of my life if I’m burned out and exhausted.
Setting a theme word for the year helps you stick to what’s most important.
Let’s face it: we have tons of demands for our time and attention – more than ever before.
How do you say “No” to the good so you can say “Yes” to the great? How do you even know what the great stuff looks like?
Like your core values, a theme word for the year helps guide your decisions and determine how you spend your time.
Does an activity align with your theme word? If not, it’s easy (OK, easier) to say “No.” If so, it’s worth consideration.
Do you have a theme word for 2017? If so, I’d love to hear about it. Let me know in the comments below.
