If you had to choose one word to describe who you are, which word would you choose? Which word captures who you are and who you are striving to be? Which word captures what is most important to you? Which word truly captures your essence? If you can't think of a word, don't worry. There are a lot of words and you have a lot of qualities, characteristics and values! I want to share with you a powerful exercise that can help you focus on what is truly important to you.
In his book Your One Word: The Powerful Secret to Creating a Business and Life that Matter, author Evan Carmichael encourages his readers to answer the following questions:
What's your favorite movie?
What's your favorite book?
What's your favorite song?
Who is your best friend?
What's your favorite quote to live by?
What kind of people do you like to hang out with?
Who was your favorite boss?
Why are you with your significant other?
Who was your favorite teacher?
What do you love most about your parents?
What activities make you come alive?
What do you look forward to most in your week?
When was the last time you felt overwhelmingly happy?
If you can take the time to really think about and answer these questions, you'll notice connections and themes that develop about your life. You might feel some pretty strong emotions, and several words might come to mind to identify those themes and emotions. One of those words might rise above all the rest and scream, "I'm the one word and you know it!" When I did this exercise, the word I landed on was "chills". In answering all the questions and thinking about different parts of my life, the common theme was that I am most alive and passionate during moments of anticipation, overwhelming emotions, exhilaration, and accomplishment. These are the moments that give me the chills. I want to add more chills to my life and help others do the same! If you can find your one word (or even narrow it down to a few words), it can help you get clear about where you should devote your time, energy and effort. Maybe that gives you confirmation that you are doing exactly what you should be doing. Maybe that gets you thinking about some changes you can make to live a life better aligned with your one word. If you would like to share your word with me, I would love to hear it (no pressure)! Just shoot me an email to Chris@ChrisCarlock.com.
Have a great day! Coach Chris