Recently, I had a powerful conversation with a friend of mine.  I asked him how I could help him and pray for him in 2016.  He responded that he had been developing a prayer of sorts for next year around a word.  His word was Justice. He believes that he has a calling to help right what is wrong in the world around us.   Key issues like child abuse, sex trafficking, water shortages, and persecution just move him in ways that require action.  In fact, his word is so alive in him that it is a compass for him and his family as they embark on becoming foster parents.  He just simply looked at me and said, “pray for me that God will guide me and my family as we embark on a journey for justice in this broken world.”

Ummm, sure.  I was stunned.  Wow, what a big word.  What a huge prayer.   What amazing focus and power his word has for him in his life.  Everything he does aligns to this concept in his life.  He ripped that statement off in a matter of seconds after I asked him the question.  I know that as situations come up this next year, this prayer and word will be a filter for everything that he is doing.  This is a #HIM.  A man with a purpose.  Fighting for something bigger.  Something that will impact generations to come.

Three years ago I started on a process called One Word.  A book by Jon Gordon.  Simply stated, each year I go through a process to develop a word that is on my heart.  That word captures the essence of what I’m focusing on Spiritually, Emotionally, Mentally, Physically, Financially, and Relationally in my life.

I used to go through a goal planning process and end a year with a sheet that looked like a list of successes and failures.  I’d list all that I had accomplished on my goals and put checks next to those.  Then I’d have this seemingly long list of goals that I didn’t reach.  In fact, I found that many of the goals weren’t really even relevant at the end of the year.  Worse, I might not have even pulled out this list of goals for months.

Listing out your goals is vital to achieving them, there is plenty of research on this.   I’m still a fan of doing this.  However, I find that it misses and looses when you are in the heat of the moment.  It lacks something bigger and more intentional like stepping back and really asking what is it that I’m put on this earth to do?  What am I doing this next year that takes my purpose and passion (Dolphin and Daffodil D2X) and focuses on a ULP (ultimate life problem) that you are called to go fix or do.

Like my friend, he has walked through his goals for next year differently.  He has taken a larger frame to what his purpose and mission is for next year.  Maybe even for generations to come.  He has listened to that calling deep within him as to what he needs to go do.  And then he puts ACTION behind it.

So, as you approach your goal planning for 2016, step back and listen to what is on your heart.  What is that deep undercurrent that you are hearing and feeling for next year?  If you are bold enough to start to listen and distill that into a word for 2016, then write that word down somewhere.  Share this word with your family.

If you walk out of my house you’ll see on a board in our mud room the 4 words for 2015 for me and my family.  We talk about how we are doing with our words regularly.  It becomes a filter for big decisions for me and my family.  We talked about our words for 2016 yesterday as we drove to see family.  (Great way to save on a data plan btw if you have teens).

Keep writing down your goals.  That is a worthy and needed process.  But, if you want to take this to another level, and really hear a deeper more impactful calling in your life, then I highly suggest you find that word that can become your theme and filter for next year.

Last point.  Your word is just that.  It is your word.  It might not, nor need not make sense to anyone else.  It needs to be big enough to hold a broad range of ideas and goals for the year, yet focused enough to keep rails on your activity and focus on what you are setting out to impact in the world.  My friends word is Justice.  I have no idea how he got to that word but it is his.  I can also tell you that he will change the world this next year because of it.

If you want to be really bold, tweet your word out to your F3 PAX in your region.  Share with another F3 brother and ask him to check in with you regularly on progress with your word.

By the way, my word for 2016 is………..DEEP

See you in the gloom.