One Word for 2022
It is interesting to me that each time the earth makes another trip around the sun, we tend to reflect on our lives as if there is something magical about the restart of a new cycle.
I am, as much as anyone, affected by this phenomenon. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. I used to, but rarely kept them past January. Instead of resolutions, I have found a practice that I enjoy, and one that has been helpful in my daily life. Each January for the last few years I have chosen a word to try to live by throughout the year. This is not an original idea. I heard about it from my wife, Donna, and since then have read numerous articles on the subject. I simply choose a word each year that represents an area that I want (or more accurately, need) to focus on. I then keep that word close in my mind so I can be intentional about improving in that area of my life. In the past, I have chosen words such as “discipline” and “listen.” I actually chose the word “listen” two years in a row because, with all of the Covid distractions, I realized I had not given the word proper attention and focus
For 2022, I have chosen the word “true”. It’s a word that has different meanings, such as factual or accurate. But another area of meaning, which is more in line with my potential opportunity for growth includes the ideas of genuine, authentic, honest, trustworthy, and forthright. While I do try to be all these things, I find it sometimes difficult to have conversations where I need to give someone hard news. As a leader, I feel an obligation to help my team members grow in their respective jobs and roles. This sometimes requires correction, which is an area where I need to make improvements. It is my goal to become better at telling people what I believe they need to hear rather than what I think they want to hear. Of course, this is a two-way street. I will need to accept constructive advice so that I, too, will become better at my job and in life.
Now before you start thinking I am going to be looking for opportunities to criticize or come down on people, let me be clear that that is not at all what I am talking about. All of us, however, can benefit from people in our lives who genuinely care enough about our development to help us see what we can’t see. I know this requires great skill and courage, which brings me back to the reason “true” is my word for 2022.
If you want to join me in picking a word for yourself this year, please let me know what word you choose. Let’s encourage each other to become better versions of ourselves in 2022!
Darrell Shires, President & CEO, Medworks, Inc.