It sounds cliché, but I am once again surprised at how quickly another year has passed. It feels as though I was just writing my “one-word” blog for 2022. The year seemed to fly by, with numerous events happening in my personal world, the Medworks world, and the actual world.

As an exercise intended for self-improvement, I choose one word each year that sets the tone for my personal growth. Daily life serves as the backdrop for this practice. It is an aspirational goal that establishes a point of focus to live by throughout the months ahead. This, of course, is not an original idea. There are plenty of blogs and articles about this topic. Last year, I chose the word “True.” The reason I chose that word was because I wanted to improve my ability to have straightforward conversations, giving helpful and honest feedback while remaining true to my values. If I were to grade myself on this, I would probably get a C+ (or maybe a B-…that sounds better!). Candidly speaking, it is genuinely hard for me to give difficult, but truthful feedback to people. But, at the same time, it is one of the most important and helpful things I can do as a leader of a growing company. I feel as if I am just breaking ground with “True,” so I intend to continue working on it as I enter this new year.

Heading into 2023, I gave a lot of thought to my choice, producing several good potential options.

Ultimately, there was one word that combined the essence of a couple of others, capturing an area that would allow me to continue working on “true” while adding new dimensions of meaning. I can’t take credit for the final word. As I was riffing several of these words to my wife, she, being good at word searching on Google (Googler?), found the word that I believe fits. So, for 2023 the word I have chosen is “Expectation.” This word is loaded with potential and possibility. The definitions of expectation from the Merriam-Webster dictionary include anticipation, expected (I expected this from you), and assurance (an expectation of success). I have keyed in on the meaning that aligns closely with accountability (expected), having an expectation of my own accountability and that of others.

Last year I tried to hold the intention of the word “true” in my mind, but because I did not give myself visual reminders, I at times, forgot my word! So, this year I am going to write it down and keep it in various and obvious places where I can’t ignore it. As well, I am going to set a weekly reminder of my word. That should prompt me to do a quick evaluation. Next year, I will update you on the effectiveness of these new tools.

Over the years, several people have shared that they have joined me in picking their own “word to live by.” I invite you to consider engaging in this exercise as well. If you do, I would love to hear from you and learn about your word and why you chose it.

Being mostly an optimist, I like the idea of anticipation as a meaning for my word. I have great expectations for an effective and productive 2023!