Got your attention, didn't I?

If you're like me, your past is littered with failed New Year's Resolutions. The road to hell may be paved with good intentions...my past is paved with a bunch of "woulda', coulda', shoulda'" ideas that didn't last much longer than the thirty-one days

Lose weight? Yep, I've made that resolution many times over--and many pounds lost and gained and lost again.

What about committing to reading all the books on the bestseller lists? Connecting with friends more than once a year through a family Christmas letter? Clean out my closets? How about clean out my car?

Last year I read about an idea that appealed to me because it was simple, to the point, and it looked attainable.

Instead of writing out a long list of 1,2,3 resolutions for the new year, the author suggested selecting a word to focus on for the next twelve months. One word. Can't get a whole lot simpler than that.

I talked it over with one of my writing partners, who agreed to do it with me. So, for 2006, my word was gratitude. Her word was trust.

Here's how I intentionally lived out that word for the past 11 months:

1. I put a small box of note paper by my chair--the one that I sit in most mornings while I sip some Constant Comment tea and have quiet time.
2. I wrote down things I was thankful for.
3. I made sure I dated each entry and I wrote in pen so the words wouldn't fade over time.  
4. I refused to feel guilty, guilty, guilty when I didn't write something every day.  ( I finally learned in my forties how to cut myself some slack!)

Here's a random entry pulled from that little box:

April 4th, 2006

I am grateful --

that I am getting better after being sick Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

that Josh (my son) was accepted into New York University's Publishing Institute

that Katie Beth and Amy (my daughters) are back safely from their spring break trips

that Katie Beth and Amy took Christa (my youngest) out for some special time together

that my mother-in-law helps with Christa while I go to writers group

that my sister's surgery went well

that my friend's surgery for breast cancer went well

It's amazing how focusing on one little word--gratitude--changed me. I never forgot what my goal was because it was only nine letters long. I looked forward to writing down my reasons for being thankful--and found myself looking for more and more reasons to be grateful. I appreciated my family and friends more--and I took the time to tell them so.

What about you? Are you willing to abandon the whole resolution grind and pick a word--one single word--to focus on for 2007? What would your word be?

Patience? Laughter? Prayer? Fun? Gentleness?

Come on--pick a word, any word!

(I'll let you know what word I pick for 2007 after I mull it over for a few more weeks.)