A couple of weeks before 2013, I was at the gym listening to a podcast, and I heard about this exercise of coming up with one word that would be the main theme for my entire year. Interesting, I thought, and as I listened to the speaker share his reasons for doing this, I thought, “What the hay…let’s do this!”
After a few moments of deliberation, I had my word, and it became the montra for my entire year. It was what I felt I needed to help me grow in every area of my life. What was my word in 2013? Excellence.
I started incorporating that idea into everything I did, from being a husband & a daddy to coaching clients, from my work at the office to what I ate. I named my new company after this concept (The B.E.T.A. Group, which stands for Be Excellent Today Alliance), created a conversation on Twitter (#bexcellentoday), and incorporated it into my website (bexcellentoday.tsfl.com). I posted the phrase at my desk and created background images for my Facebook and Twitter profiles. Everything in my life in 2013 was all about being excellent.
Although I wasn’t excellent in everything I did last year, as no one could be, it is exciting and encouraging to look back and realize that 2013 was one of the best years of my life with this focus on excellence. Here is a sample of the highlights from this past year:
1. I took my wife on a golf trip to Reno, as well as on numerous dates and mini-trips, to enhance our relationship and have fun together.
2. I received a promotion at work based upon my performance as the top sales rep three out of the first five months in 2013, finishing second the other two months. I now have more responsibility and really enjoy the work I get to do each day.
3. I took my daughters on several dates and put them to bed most nights, enjoying our bedtime stories, prayers and conversations as I got a glimpse into their beautiful, young minds.
4. I successfully remodeled and sold our house back in Missouri, with the help of many faithful friends and family, as well as an awesome realtor, Jason Jacobs, Schneider Realty, Wentville, MO.
5. I grew my health coaching business 650%, helping more people get healthy and take back their lives.
6. I increased my income by 30% from 2012.
7. I completed a workout in which I did 220 push-ups and 101 pull-ups, both personal records.
8. I increased my blog readership by 261% by blogging every day for three months.
9. With a little help from our friends, we saved $20,000 in four months to put down on a new house for our family.
10. I completed my first 5K with my wife and friends, with plans to do more in 2014 and beyond.
In looking back at 2013, I am very proud of what was accomplished, as the focus on excellence permeated my choices all each day.
With the new year now upon us, it’s time to reveal the one word that will encompass my thoughts and actions in 2014. I began considering my word a couple of weeks ago, and it became apparent rather quickly what my word was going to be.
Without further ado, my word for 2014 is…Consistency.
I am going to build on the foundation from 2013 the idea of being more consistent in my pursuit of excellence; consistency in how I discipline my kids, in my communication with my wife, in my efforts at work, in my nutrition and exercise, in my pursuit of holiness and spiritual growth. There isn’t one aspect of my life that won’t benefit from focusing on being more consistent this year, and here are three commitments I’m making to start my year on the right foot:
1. I will blog at least twice every week.
2. I will workout 5 times each week.
3. I will study my Bible or a spiritual book every day.
4. I will put my kids to bed at least 5 times each week.
5. I will take my wife on a date at least once every week.
Now it’s your turn. What will your one word be for 2014? Take a little time to consider one word that will make 2014 your best year, and share it with those closest to you. If you remember, please share it with me, as I would love to hear how you plan to make it a great year.
#bexcellentoday 